Family or Something Like It
by FirstAid
Summary: The death of Calleigh's father leaves a multitude of unaswered questions. Who IS Calleigh's family? Chapter 49 and 50 up. Thanks for sticking around. R and R!
1. No, Really I'm Fine

Family, or Something Like It

Family, or Something Like It.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters except the ones I make up along the way.

Weeks like this almost made Calleigh question the reasons she didn't quit her job. Small children, murdered by their own parents, hapless teenagers committing crimes out of sheer boredom…what was the point? She hated her job sometimes, not that she would ever let on, but she did. So she pasted a pat smile on her face and pretended like everything was great, like she hadn't been kept up all night long with visions of lifeless children running through her mind. In the furthest recesses of her memory, she could remember hearing her mother tell her in her soothing Southern drawl, "Calleigh, darlin' no matter how bad it gets, just be glad it isn't worse."

She supposed that it was meant to make her feel better, but in reality, the phrase only left her wandering when it really WOULD get worse, and how much worse it could get. Grunting softly, she turned and smacked her alarm clock, letting out a deep tired sigh before throwing her legs over the side of the bed and finally rising for work.

Calleigh's morning routine was down to a science now. Wash the dishes to let the water warm up before her shower, put the coffee on, and indulge herself in a short shower before work. She was busy washing her hair when the phone rang, and she missed the message left on her machine. She was on her way out the door, grabbing her keys off the table when she saw the light on the machine blinking. Almost unconsciously she pushed the button and heard her mother's voice for the second time that morning, only this time, it wasn't a memory.

"Calleigh, dear, something's happened. Call me immediately. It's your father."

She sagged against the table, too tired to hold herself upright. "Not again" she whispered. Whipping out her cell phone with her other hand, she scrolled down to her mother's number and pressed "call."

"Mamma?" She decided to forgo pleasantries. "What's the matter?"

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry," her mother whispered through the airwaves. "It's your father, honey. He's…he's dead, baby."

Her knees finally gave way, and she collapsed into an ungraceful heap on the floor choking back sobs. "Mamma?" she cried, not realizing her phone was no longer in her hand. He was dead. Her father was dead. The facts didn't sink in immediately, they kept occurring to her, slapping her reality harshly. He was dead. Calleigh realized she didn't know how he had died, and snatched the phone off the floor where it had fallen. "Mamma?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm here, sweetie."

"Mamma, how…wha" She couldn't bring herself to ask the question.

"He had a heart attack, early this morning. The doctors said there was nothing anyone could do. His health wasn't so good anyway, you know. His body just…couldn't take it any more."

"Why'd they call you?" No one was more aware of her parents mutual animosity than Calleigh.

"Honey, they didn't." Her mother laughed. "You remember Linda Tilton?"

She did.

"Well, Linda works down at the hospital, she a nurse, remember?" Calleigh was getting the picture.

"She called me this morning." Her mother chuckled. "Thought I'd be happy to hear it."

Calleigh would have loved to be surprised, or even incredulous by this statement, but she knew her mother too well. Vindication was her middle name. Revenge her first. It made her sick.

"I have to go to work, Mom. Can I call you tonight?" The real world had started to penetrate her brain. Work. She could work. This was why she didn't quit. She had somewhere to go, something to occupy her hands. She would be okay. She had to be okay.

"Sure, sweetie. Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm…are you?" Calleigh realized she hadn't even asked her mother how she was doing.

"I'll be okay. Great, actually. I'm a steely old gal, you know." Her mother joked, even in the midst of this mess. "I knew I'd outlive the bastard."

Calleigh winced. That was just cruel. "I've got to go, now. I'm late for work."

Calleigh gathered herself up off the floor and glanced in the mirror over the hall table. Straightening her hair and swiping at the tears that threatened to overcome her, she squared her shoulders, pushing her chin into the air.

"I can do this." She repeated softly. "I can do this. It's just another day."

She heaved a deep, ragged breath, picked her keys up off the table and headed out the door.

"Mornin', H." she drawled with forced cheeriness.

"Good morning." He returned, frowning at her slightly. She smiled brightly, cringing inwardly. He would be the first person she ran into. He was too good at reading people, and she worried that he'd see straight through her façade.

"Calleigh, are you – " he started.

"I'm fine." She cut him off. It was best to not go down that road now. "Where do you need me?"

"Have you finished your report on the Dosson case yet?"

"Just about." She was grateful he didn't pry. "I just want to check a few more things out before I finalize my results and hand it in."

"Well," he paused, studying her intently for a moment. "I guess that's a good place to start then."

She flashed him her patented I-really-want-you-to-believe-I'm-fine smile and spun on her heel. "I'll get to it, then!" She called over her shoulder, already on her way to her lab.

"Calleigh!" She heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Hey there, Alexx. Got something for me?"

"I sure do." Alexx sighed. She hated bad news. "I retrieved the bullet from the…the baby girl." She handed Calleigh a small manilla envelope. "I waited to the autopsy until last. Poor dear. Never got a chance to live."

"Thanks, Alexx. I'll get on this."

"You okay, sweetie?" Alexx looked concerned, placing a hand on Calleigh's forearm.

"I'm okay." She lied. "Just didn't get my coffee this morning." She knew Alexx wasn't buying it, so she continued with a sly grin. "I think I'll steal some of Eric's special coffee. That ought to do the trick." She winked and headed down the hallway again.

"I'm here if you need me." Alexx called after her.

Calleigh just turned and smiled, walking backward a few steps until Alexx shrugged and turned around. She hated lying to her friends, but she couldn't deal with this right now. Not today. Besides, she had evidence to process, reports to write, experiments to complete. She had a busy day, and wallowing in self pity and grief just didn't make it into her planner. She was a Duquesne, for christ's sake. She could handle a normal work day.

She pulled her lab coat on and buttoned it up, smoothing her hair into a neat pony tail. Snapping her gloves on, she opened the envelope and went to work. This was a doozy. Overkill. Literally. Frangible bullets. She hated those. They enter the soft tissue and explode, their sharp edges tearing, slicing, severing. If the poor soul survived long enough for a doctor to come into play, he stood a good chance of dying when the emergency room staff tried to remove the bullet. It did even more damage on the way out. Whoever did this didn't want anyone walking away. No witnesses. No complications.

"Forty caliber." She spoke out loud to no one in particular.

"You know," a male voice sounded from behind her. "They say talking to yourself is one of the signs of insanity."

"It's only insanity if I ANSWER myself, Delko." She joked with a smile on her face. She turned to him, still smiling. "And I never answer myself." She emphasized "never" and opened her eyes wide as she saw he was holding two mugs of coffee.

"You drinkin' both of those?" She eyed one of the mugs.

"Planning on it." He deadpanned.

"Hmph." She replied, pursing her lips a little. "You know, they say caffeine can stunt your growth. You should probably go easy on that."

"I didn't know your parents bottle-fed you coffee." Eric sat a mug down on a counter. "That why you're so short?" He kidded.

At the mention of her parents Calleigh inhaled sharply and abruptly turned her back to him. She didn't mean to be rude, but it was all getting overwhelming.

"Cal?"

She paused a minute before turning around and picking up the mug. "Thank you for this."

"Cal…"

"Eric, just drop it." Too sharp. "Please. I'm fine." She softened, and met his eyes. He narrowed them as he looked at her, but silently nodded, his mouth opening as if to speak again, then closing and thinking better of it. He nodded once and raised his hand, clasping his fingers in midair, and dropping it to his side again. "You need anything…" he trailed off, well aware she knew the rest.

"Yeah." She said softly, looking down at the mug in her hands. He was gone when she looked up again.

The day flew by in a haze. She functioned, she processed evidence, drank coffee when it was offered, nodded in the appropriate places, but her resolve was crumbling. Her exterior was dissolving around her. If she didn't get out of here, she'd melt down completely, right in the lab, glass doors and all, for god and all the world to see.

Grabbing her police-issue Glock, she settled it into her holster and headed to the indoor range. She checked out two cases of ammo, put on her hearing protection, and leveled her weapon, eyeing the target. It was close. Almost too close. She paused and pushed the button, moving the paper further down the track. Satisfied at the challenge in front of her, she brought her gun up again, feet, hips and shoulders squared. Slowing her respirations, she reveled in the comfort, the familiar, then routine. Her mantra from earlier returned. "I can do this."

She fired off a few rounds, clustering neatly at center mass. This was old hat to her. Easy. She moved the target back more and fired again. This time, her aim was not as true. The first few hit the target, then she seemed to falter. She hiccupped and swiped at her eyes with the back of her left hand. She aimed again, and fired, missing entirely. Again. Miss. Again. Miss. She couldn't see the target anymore. Each miss made her angrier, tears springing to her eyes blurring, obscuring her vision making it impossible for her to aim.

"I'm no ballistics expert, but I think you're supposed to aim for the target." A soft voice spoke behind her. Eric. Her shoulder's heaved as she drew an unsteady breath.

"I'm just off my game today." She reasoned, knowing that he wouldn't believe her anyway.

"Yeah, right." He dropped a hand softly onto her shoulder. "Cal." He whispered.

Her grip loosened, and her breathing hitched. Eric carefully took the gun out of her hands and sat it on the counter in front of her. "Talk to me, Calleigh. You're never off your game."

She shook her head. "No." She stated it more to herself than to Eric. He waited, knowing her refusal wasn't a personal affront. "I –" She tried again and couldn't finish. "My dad," she faltered. "Dead." He barely caught the last part, she whispered it so softly, as if she herself didn't want to believe it.

"Oh, no." He groaned, leaning against the barrier. "Calleigh, I'm so sorry. When?" Her hands were gripping the counter.

"My mom called me this morning."

"Jesus, Calleigh." He ran his hand through his cropped hair. "Why didn't you call in?" He shook his head, already knowing the answer before she spoke.

"I have a job to do."

"H. would have given you the day off. We could cover for you."

"I wanted to finish this case." Her argument was weak. "I didn't want all you guys to have to pick up my work load, too. You've all got stuff to do, and…" she didn't finish. It wasn't necessary. Eric didn't believe her anyway.

"Wanna go home now?" He smiled weakly at her, hoping she'd say yes. She shouldn't be at work. She shouldn't be…he didn't finish the thought.

"No." She turned and picked up her piece, aiming, then sat it back down a moment later as tears blurred her vision again. "Yes." She nodded.

"Come on." He gently led her out the door. "I'll take you home."


	2. Getting Time Off

Author's Note: I like this show a lot, but don't actually have time to watch it, so some of the facts may not be completely accurate

Author's Note: I like this show a lot, but don't actually have time to watch it, so some of the facts may not be completely accurate. I'm in grad school, and I'm super busy. Also,

I'm moving the timeline back to a few months after Calleigh was kidnapped on the street. I might include Jake, but I don't like him. I have no earthly idea if Calleigh's mother is alive or not, so I decided that she is. I don't know if Calleigh has siblings or not, so I decided that she is an only child. So basically, it's not necessarily cannon. Thanks to all who reviewed. Reviews fuel me to write after I've been studying for eight or nine hours straight. Ciao!

Calleigh numbly followed Eric off the range and up the stairs, concentrating solely on not breaking down in front of everyone. She looked up, surprised as she slammed into a hard object.

"Umph." She smacked to a halt. Eric had stopped walking, but wan't paying attention. Stepping backward a bit she looked around her. They were in Horatio's office. Eric eyed her with concern deepening in his mind. Calleigh wasn't one to drift off, out of reality. She was always alert.

"Calleigh." He tried to get her attention. There was a pause, then she slowly met his gaze. "You're going to need some time off." She was really starting to worry him, almost catatonic by this point.

"Ms. Duquesne?" Horatio arose from his chair behind the desk. No response. "Calleigh?" Maybe informality would do the trick. He looked at Eric, who just shrugged and mouthed something he didn't catch.

Eric again placed his hand on Calleigh's shoulder, shaking her gently, and bending to speak softly into her ear. "Cal, come on. You've gotta ask for some time off."

She seemed to hear him, drawing herself up as tall as she could and shaking her head a few times as if to summon herself back to reality. "Horatio, I need to…" She stopped and tried a different approach, her voice stronger this time. "I need some emergency leave. A couple days. Maybe three or four."

"Is everything alright?" Horatio asked, even though he could clearly see it wasn't.

"Yeah, everything's fine." Only Calleigh would say that. "Um." She glanced down. "My dad died and I need to go back to Louisianna and help plan a funeral and sort through the legal stuff and…" She rambled until she seemed to run out of energy. She looked at Horatio out of the corner of one eye, his face a mixture of concern and irritation.

No one said a word for a few moments, the only sound was Eric shifting nervously from side to side as he silently pleaded with Horatio to give her more time off than she had asked for.

"Go home." Horatio finally agreed, nodding gently. "Take this weekend off. And all of next week. I'll see you next Monday."

Eric breathed a silent sigh of relief and flashed him a smile of gratitude.

"H., I don't need that much time." Calleigh's protests cut into his moment of thanks.

"Ms. Duquesne," She cut him off.

"I know you're short staffed, and the case load is really heavy and"

"Ms. Duquesne, I'm not changing my mind." He angled his head and made a face letting her know her efforts were futile. "Go home. We'll manage without you for one week. Be with your family." He looked up at Eric and nodded; Calleigh was staring at a spot on the floor, defeated.

"Is it okay if I drive her home?" Eric hated asking permission. "I just want…"

"Your shift's almost over." It was as good as a "yes."

Eric gently ushered Calleigh out the door and down the hall. "I don't need that much time off." She muttered. "I can be back by Wednesday or Thursday at the latest."

He didn't respond, merely shook his head in disbelief. Only she would object to taking time for herself.

"Did you bring a purse or something?" They were stopped outside the locker room.

"Um." She looked up, again surprised by her surroundings. "Yeah." He opened the door for her and stood patiently while she fiddled with her lock, twirling it around a few times, getting the combination wrong. She tried a few more times before she was successful. Grabbing her purse and jacket from her locker, she slammed it shut, snapping the lock closed and slowly dragging herself back out the door.

"You don't have to drive me." She fished her keys from her purse. "I'm capable."

He didn't argue, just nodded. "I know. But I'm going to anyway."

She huffed at him, annoyed, glaring out of the corner of her eye. She didn't like being coddled. So her dad died. She was sad, yes, but that fact did not turn her into some…some…invalid, incompetent and incapable of accomplishing the simplest task.

Eric placed his hand gently on the back of her neck and steered her toward his car, ignoring her subtle pulls to walk toward hers. He opened the door for her, and helped her get in, closing it carefully once she was situated. He looked up to the heavens for a brief moment, drawing strength from the warm sunlight bathing his face. She was going to fight him every step of the way. It's her nature, and he loved that about her, but it didn't make convincing her to shed her sharp, hard exterior and actually deal with this any easier.

He drove in silence to her home. She stared out the window, not registering the sights as she flew past them. They'd been parked a few minutes before she finally realized she was home. Moving to unbuckle her seat belt, she was stunned when Eric hopped out of the car as well.

"I can find my way to my own front door, you know." Snarky Calleigh was still in there somewhere.

"I know." His simple reply disarmed her. She accepted that he wasn't leaving and walked up to the entrance, Eric following a few steps behind her. She didn't invite him in, but he stepped inside anyway.

The house was immaculate as always. Calleigh was never messy. It seemed part of a proper southern upbringing meant that you always maintained your house in perfect order, just in case visitors dropped by. His home had always been chaos, by contrast. Noisy and warm, with people moving in and out in a constant string of visitors, family, and friends. Enticing smells always emanated from the kitchen as his mother whipped up another one of her famous dishes, always making enough to feed twice the number who lived with her. He wandered briefly what Calleigh's home had been like while she was growing up. He figured it wasn't a noisy one, but quiet, subdued, and well ordered, the way she preferred her life.

She handed him a glass of sweet tea, smiling up shyly at him. "Make yourself at home. I'm guessing you don't plan on leavin'."

"I'll stay for a while." He moved to the living room and took a seat on the sofa. "Do you need any help or…" He let it dangle, unfinished.

"I just need to make a few calls." She seemed more alert, focused here in her home. He knew it was a front, a cover for the fact that she needed to just break down and have herself a good long cry. He also knew she would do none of those things while he was there. That fact made him both proud and irritated. Proud that she was so strong, independent, and irritated that she didn't realize that he would not think she was any less of those two attributes if she let herself cry in front of him. She was a mystery to him. How the woman functioned from day to day was nothing short of a miracle. The past few years had been hard on her, with Tim's death, her car accident, the kidnapping, dealing with her drunk of a father. She didn't need to push his death beneath the surface, too. Eventually, the weight off the pain she carried around with her was going to crush her slim shoulders and crack her open. He just hoped someone – no, he hoped that HE – was there to pick up the pieces when it happened.


	3. Planes Don't Float

Calleigh rushed around her house, throwing items into her suitcases

_Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed. It's been a long time since I've tried to write anything. Your encouraging comments are very sweet. I realized as I was writing this chapter, that I have no idea where in LA Calleigh is from. So, I'm faking it. I'm sure we'll all survive_.

Calleigh rushed around her house, throwing items into her suitcases. Black dress, matching shoes, jacket, shampoo. Check.

Toothbrush.

Hair dryer.

Check. Check.

Under different circumstances, Eric would have laughed at the sight. Frazzled Calleigh, talking to herself as she frantically ran about grabbing various items. Given the situation, though, he wisely chose to leave these thoughts unvoiced, and generally unacknowledged, even unto himself.

"Cal, what time is your flight?" He shouted through the halls.

"My what?" She yelled back.

"Your flight." He chuckled a little, seeing where this was going. "You know, the airplane. The large floaty thing that magically takes you from here to your final destination in less time that a car or train? You know, that."

She appeared this time, hands on her hips. "I know what a plane is, and it isn't magic and it doesn't float. It's just physics. It's really just a basic ratio of lift versus drag. You factor in momentum, or thrust to get the average velocity. If you want the instantaneous vel–."

"I get it, I get it. Okay." Eric held up his hands in defeat. "It doesn't float. It glides through the air with effortless speed, easily calculable through basic vector calculus and other stuff no one in their right mind would even bother wondering about." He smiled at her for effect.

"No." She shook her head again. "It doesn't glide. Gliders don't have engines. That's different. Airplanes, at least commercial ones, have jet engines, and it's not effortless, really. It's really complex. I can explain it to you. I just need a sheet of paper and a pen." Her eyes gleamed and she smirked a bit at him.

She was kidding. She was joking with him. He was relieved.

"You think I'm out of my right mind?" She challenged him, trace of a smile on her face still.

"I never said that."

"You said no one in their right mind would take vector calculus." Her eyes focused steadily on his face. "I took vector calculus. And differential calculus and integral calculus, and multivariable calculus…" She trailed off, hands still on her hips. "So just exactly what are you insinuating there, Delko!"

He knew there was no way to dig himself out of this hole, so he decided instead to just keep digging. "It's crazy." He stated simply. "It's crazy to spend all that time crunching numbers when you could be, say…going for a nice swim in the ocean or something." He mimicked her stance, hands on his hips.

"Oh, really?"

"Really."

"Well, it just so happens that without all those "crazy" classes, we wouldn't have airplanes or cars, or skyscrapers, or computers, or cell phones, or that delivery pizza you love so much." That one hit hard. He DID love the delivery pizza.

"Then I guess I'd just have to hop on my bike and go myself, then."

"And how would you EVER know how far you had to go, or how fast you're going?"

"Calleigh," he laughed. "My bicycle doesn't have a speedometer!"

"Darn it." She laughed with him. "It was a pretty good argument until you poked that hole in it!" She slapped her hand gently on his forearm, letting it linger a bit too long. Realizing what she'd done, she gasped and glanced at Eric's face. He was watching her closely; aware of what was running through her mind. She quickly withdrew her hand, and they stood awkwardly for a while, in her hallway, neither one of them saying anything.

It was Eric who broke the silence, getting back to the original question. "When does your flight leave?"

"My flight?" She repeated. "I don't know."

He was confused for a moment, then understood immediately. She'd forgotten to book one. "I'll check it out, and tell you what I find, how about that?" He looked at her tenderly. For a moment he'd believed she was okay, but clearly that was not the case. Not that he minded helping…

"Yeah." She nodded. "Yeah, that'd be great."

"Hey, no problem." He sauntered off toward her computer, turning his head to watch as she remained motionless in the hallway. He sighed again, wishing there was something he could actually DO to make her feel better. Something other than picking fake physics arguments to get her all riled up, or booking airline tickets. He wanted to do…more.

He booted up her computer and took a seat at the desk, eyes falling on a framed picture. It was of she and her father a few years ago, he guessed. Her eyes were sparkling and she was laughing about something. He may not have been a perfect father, but she loved him. And Eric supposed her loved her, too. She was "Daddy's little girl," and this was tearing her apart.

"Hey, Cal," he yelled. "Do you need a rental car, too?" He wasn't sure what the reception would be like when she arrived.

"No. I'll call my mom or someone."

"Okay."

"Which airport do you want to fly into? New Orleans or Baton Rouge?" He realized he wasn't entirely certain where her family lived.

"Shreveport or Jackson, actually. They're both closer."

He plugged in the search criteria and hit enter. "Looks like four hundred to Shreveport, and two hundred to Jackson. You're lucky, they're having a deal."

"Yeah." She whispered, and he winced, realizing what he'd said. "Real lucky." The last part she said mostly to herself, but it cut Eric's heart like a knife.

"Cal, I'm so sorry." He stood and reached out to her, but she backed away a bit. "I didn't mean it like that, I swear. I'm a jackass." He watched her face closely, but could read nothing in it.

"Doesn't matter." She shook her head. "I know you weren't trying to be mean."

"Cal, I swear, I feel awful." He really did. "Let me make it up to you?"

She looked at him suspiciously. "What've you got in mind?"

"I'll figure something out. It'll be a surprise." His mind went into overdrive. "Something to look forward to when you get back?" He offered the last part as a bit of a peace offering, with no small amount of trepidation.

"Sure." She agreed. "Okay."

With that, she turned and left the room.

"Wait, Calleigh!" He went after her. "Do you want the cheaper one?"

"Was that the one to Jackson?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah. It's a little closer." Was her only reply.

He started booking her flight for her, and realized he needed her credit card. It seemed gauche to bring up money at a time like this. Reaching into his back pocket, he extricated his wallet and drew out his own credit card. The flight wasn't that much, and he figured she'd have a cow and insist on repaying him anyway. He secretly hoped that she didn't. It would be nice to actually have her let him show her…anything, really. If this is what it took, well, she was worth it. More than. The site popped up an advertisement for a seat upgrade. An additional 65, and you could move up to business class. He checked the box without giving it a second thought. She should fly comfortably now, especially now at a time like this.

"Alright." He walked to her room, but not inside. "All set."

"What time?" She was in the closet, her voice a little muffled.

"7:34 tonight." He replied. "You land in Jackson at 8:55 with the time difference factored in."

"Tonight." She repeated.

"Yeah. You wanted a different day?" He'd just assumed she'd want to get there as quickly as possible. Perhaps he'd been mistaken.

"No. No." She smiled at him briefly. "That's great. Thank you."

"Is that too late?"

"It's perfect, Eric." She tried to sound convincing. "Really, thank you. For all of this." She spread her hand in front of her, gesturing broadly.

"Hey, don't mention it." He meant that, too. "Are you about packed? We have just enough time to grab you some dinner and make your flight on time."

"What? Eric, you really don't need to drive me clear to the airport." She protested. "I can take a cab or leave my car in the lot."

"Yeah, for a hundred bucks or so, sure, you can take a cab. And for eighty bucks a day you can park your own. You can ride with me for free."

"You don't need to. It's out of your way. Really, it'll be fine. And it's NOT that expensive." A little of the sparkle was back in her eyes.

"I want to." He really did. "Please?"

She smiled softly at him and nodded. He always knew how to disarm her. Those eyes, that voice. The emotion behind one simple word. Please. It held possibilites, hopes, but she couldn't let her mind linger on any of that right now. Pushing it to the back of her brain, she zipped up her carry-on, slung it over her shoulder, and extended the handle of her suitcase. "Ready." She almost sounded cheerful. Even she almost believed it. But only almost.

Eric reached out and threaded his fingers under the strap of her carry on, brushing them gently against her shoulder in the process. She shivered imperceptibly at the unexpected contact. He deftly removed her bag from her arm, and swatted her hand off the pull of her suitcase. "I've got these." He motioned for her to go ahead of him. "You make sure you have everything. I'll put this stuff in the car."

She made no effort to move, seemingly rooted to the floor. He paused a moment, then walked down the short hallway to the front door, and out to the car. She was still standing there when he returned, but her expression was one he'd never seen before.

"Calleigh?" It almost wasn't even a question. He inched nearer. "Calleigh." He repeated. He could see her jaw clenched as he got closer. Glancing at her hands, he saw them balled into fists. She was losing a battle with herself, and he was the only witness. Her chin quivered a bit, and he closed the distance without giving it any though at all. Gently he reached an arm around her shoulders, turning her into him, his other hand moving to stroke her golden hair. "Hey." He whispered in her ear. "It's okay. Let it out."

She did not, but she didn't push him away either. The latter surprised him, the former did not. She stood rock solid for a moment, before softening her stance, allowing herself to be held by him, encircled by him. Slowly, she inched one arm, then two around his torso, drawing strength from his solidity, his presence, his existence. She calmed down in what seemed to Eric like record time, and drew herself away from his body.

"Sorry." She murmured softly, embarrassed.

"Hey." He reached out impulsively, eager to have the connection back, and pushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear. "None of that."

She still wouldn't meet his eyes, not that he expected her to. "How about dinner?" He suggested, knowing she desperately wanted to change the subject. "I know just the place."

She faked a smile for what seemed like the millionth time that day, and let it melt as she dared to glance into his brown eyes. He saw her. He saw the real her. That realization made her shiver involuntarily. She wasn't sure she liked being that transparent to someone, but she had to admit. If you're going to be transparent to anyone, Eric Delko was a pretty good choice.

"Italian?"

"Of course." He knew her well. "They have amazing manicotti. Best in Miami." He assured her.

"Sounds good." She walked out ahead of him, glancing around as she went to make sure she didn't leave anything too necessary.

Eric sent a silent prayer up to the God of his childhood and the Virgin Mary, too, just in case someone was listening. His friend was hurting, and it was breaking his heart. With that, he walked out the front door, pulling his keys out to lock it behind him. He marveled, not for the first time, as he slipped the key into the lock. He had a key to her apartment, and she his. That usually said something. He pondered this a bit, then decided to ignore the topic altogether. Checking the door knob and the deadbolt, he turned, satisfied that her home was secure, and joined her in the car.


	4. Dinner, and

Author's note: I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated

Author's note: I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated. School's been…hectic to say the least. Anyway, I hope you like SOME of it, at least. Let me know. Also, I had a major case of writer's block, and decided that the only way to get this chapter to work is to do most of it in retrospect. Stuff in italics already happened. Flashback, you know. So, enjoy. And review. Don't forget that last part.

Calleigh shifted uncomfortably in the airplane seat, stretching her stiff neck and sighing. Glancing at her watch she groaned, seeing there was another hour before her arrival. She'd spent the layover in Atlanta in a daze, wandering around the terminal looking for…something. She wasn't sure what. When the plane finally started boarding she'd almost missed it, the haze around her so thick that she didn't hear the first announcement. Or second. Or fifth, for that matter. Staring blankly out the window at the thick blanket of clouds below her, she drifted back to her dinner with Eric. He had insisted on taking her for a real, sit-down dinner, even though she didn't feel like eating much.

"_You sure you're okay?" He was staring at her now, brows knitted in concern. Concern for her. It made her breath catch in her throat. _

"_Yeah, yeah." She attempted to assure him, although she wondered briefly why she bothered. He wouldn't believe her. Damn that newfound revelation of hers and his freakish ability to see straight through all her defenses. No. Not damn him. Bless him. But it certainly didn't make things easier. Vulnerability was synonymous with weakness in her vocabulary, and anyone who knew Calleigh Duquesne for more than five minutes knew that she did NOT do weakness well. Hell, she didn't do weakness at all. Even after her kidnapping she'd tried to push him away, only allowing him to invade her personal space when he'd admitted that HE was not okay. He knew, SHE knew, that she could never deny him, not when he needed…anything. _

"_Calleigh," he began. "It's me, you know. You don't have to pretend with me."_

"_Really, Eric." Her protests were even weak to her ears now. _

"_Calleigh." He breathed it as much as he spoke it. Pleading with her to open up to him, let him in. Let him carry some of her burden, ease the load of it. _

"_Eric, I just…" Faltering, she stopped and took a deep breath. "I can't do this. Not here. Not today."_

"_You'll tell me, then?" He covered her small hand with his. "You know, if there's anything you need? If you need to talk? Or, you know, whatever?" He was rambling now. Nervous. She could feel the pulse of his thumb as he gently stroked the back of her hand. She studied the contrast, his larger tanned hand on her small, pale one. _

"_Cal?"_

_Private thoughts brought to an abrupt end, she looked up startled. "Cal?"_

"_Yeah." His fingers had laced themselves through hers somehow. When had that happened? She was sure she'd been paying attention, the contact between them was sending shivers down the back of her spine, and a blush to her cheeks. She glanced toward the ceiling, searching for lighting, and hoping it was dim enough to hide her now reddened complexion. _

"_Yeah?" He prompted._

"_I'll let you know." She said it too sharply, and he withdrew his hand, misunderstanding her meaning. "No, I mean, thank you. I'll call you. When I'm ready to deal with all…this." She made a sweeping gesture with her arm, hoping he wouldn't know that she had included HIM in the "this" part of the comment. If he caught on, though, he made no indication._

"_Promise?" He tilted his head, searching her for signs of the evasion and defense she had mastered so long ago. _

"_I promise." She smiled at him, and impulsively reacher HER hand out this time to take his. He curled his fingers around hers, and they had just SAT there. Silently. Saying everything, and nothing, and all that lies in between. Only the connection of their hands was speaking, and it was screaming in their ears. She had only just worked up the courage to speak again, when the overly perky, and, in Calleigh's opinion, WAY too flirtacious waitress made her way back to their table, ruining the tender, private moment. _

"_Are y'all gonna want some desert?" An overly perky waitress kept up her attempts to get the twosome to order more, and thereby earning her a larger tip._

"_None for me, thank you." Calleigh smiled politely and withdrew her hand. _

"_Two orders of tiramisu to go." Eric ordered, ignoring her refusal. "And a to-go box." _

"_Eric, I really don't want anything."_

"_It's my treat. Take it with you." He suggested. "You might get hungry, and the three little pretzels you get from airlines now won't be enough. Besides, you barely touched your dinner."_

_He was right. She'd tried it, and it was fantastic as promised, but mostly, she'd pushed it back and forth across her plate with her fork. _

"_It's really not necessary." She protested. "You've already gone out of your way, drove me home, here, to the airport. It's not necessary." She repeated. _

"_I want to." Eric attempted to catch her eye. "Besides, what are friends for?" He tried to keep things upbeat, this day had to be hard on her._

"_Eric, I…" _

_He cut her off. "The only thing you need to say is – No. Wait. You don't need to say anything. Just accept it. That's it."_

_She raised her head slowly and finally met his gaze, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Well, thank you, then." She half whispered. He was being too sweet to her today. If she was really honest with herself, he was always this sweet. Or at least he tried to be. Calleigh knew she pushed him away, kept him at arms length when he tried to be sweet to her. But she just couldn't risk it. She couldn't risk…what might happen. She figured that he thought she was scared of what might happen if they didn't work out. It really was the opposite fear, though. She was terrified of what might happen if they DID make it. She only allowed her mind to drift to THOSE places when she was WAY too tired to think straight, alone in her apartment, and curled up alone on the sofa with a pint of chunky monkey ice cream. _

_She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice the single tear that escaped her tightly managed control and make its way slowly down her cheek. That tear did not go unnoticed by Eric, however. He gently reached out a hand and wiped away the tear as it made its way down to her chin. Her eyes focused on his once more, questioning this time. And something else that he couldn't identify. He looked into her eyes trying to classify what he saw in there, but the moment was broken by that annoyingly perky waitress. _

"_Okay, handsome." She placed both boxes in front of him and rubbed his bicep. "Here you go! Can I get you anything else?" She ignored Calleigh this time, but Eric's focus was still on her face, watching as that unqualified emotion behind her eyes clouded over temporarily with what looked like jealously. He grinned internally. Calleigh was jealous! _

"_We're fine, thank you." He made a point to emphasize the "we're" part of that statement. "Can I just get the check?" He noticed how Calleigh's eyes brightened just a hare as she saw the waitress walk away, deflated. _

"_I'm paying for my own meal." She announced, unnerved by the way he kept looking at her. _

"_Nope." He grabbed the bill away from her as she reached for it. "I said it was my treat." _

"_No." She countered. "You said desert was you're treat. I pay for my own meal." _

"_Not today." On a different day, a day when she wasn't on her way to her father's funeral, she would have been undone by that smile, those eyes. Their effect on her today was minimal, however, but she did take a mental picture to file away to ponder later. She did not have the mental energy to think about…them. If he could have this effect on her just holding her hand…_

_She shook her head, and pushed the thoughts aside. This was SO not the day to turn into lonely, pathetic Calleigh, and it DEFINITELY wasn't the place. Her mind replayed their last few moments together before she'd walked into the airport. Eric had pulled the car up as close to her terminal as possible, and leaped from the car to retrieve her luggage from the trunk. She reached out, to take her carry on from him, but he'd outsmarted her, and used the arm to pull her into a hug. The second one that day. She accepted gratefully this time, clinging to him perhaps a bit too tightly in dread of what awaited for her when she arrived in Louisiana. She reveled in the strong, masculine scent of him. Clean and fresh and just…Eric. He'd boldly pressed his lips to the top of her head as he'd released her, whispering in her ear, "Call me if you need ANYTHING. Day or night."_

_She'd merely nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Grabbing her luggage she hesitated a moment, turning. "Thank you." Two simple words, but she knew that HE'D know she meant more than "thank you for dinner" or "thank you for the ride." _

_He'd only given her that cocky head bob he did when he was greeting his "boys," but she saw the flash in his eyes. He knew. He understood. He always did. _

Calleigh drifted off once more to a restless sleep.


	5. Prodigal

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. We'll be touching down here in Jackson, Mississippi in about 20 minutes or so. Local time is 7:00 in the P.M., and we have partly cloudy skies and 62 degrees. On behalf of all of us at Delta Airlines, we hope you had a pleasant flight, and do fly with us again. Enjoy your stay."

Calleigh groaned as she awoke from the state of half-sleep she'd been battling. Twenty minutes. Here it goes. She shivered and breathed in the stale airplane air. It smelled like sweat and plastic and old upholstery. Leaning to the side again, she watched as the city of Jackson grew larger, pinpoints of light becoming streetlamps, headlights, and neon signs. She was almost home, if you could call it that, and she could not have been dreading this more. Idly, she wondered if her mother would actually be there to pick her up, if it had been a mistake to call her and ask for a ride. Her mother would see no benefit to picking up her own daughter from the airport. After all, the only reason for her visit was the death of her ex-husband – not exactly a reason for a mother to celebrate. Calleigh hadn't come to visit HER, anyway. Just for the funeral.

She struggled to remove her luggage from the overhead compartment, and mumbled a word of thanks to some kindly gentleman who easily plucked it out for her. Walking down the gangway, she slowed with every step, knowing, just knowing that there was no one waiting for her. She hated this part, always had. Waiting on the stoop for someone to let her in. Waiting at school for someone to pick her up after her play. Waiting at the hospital after she fell off the tire swing at Janey Kinsey's house and broke her arm in the third grade. Waiting at the bus station for someone to pick her up from college when she came home on Christmas break. There was never anyone there. This time would be no different. Waiting. Calleigh hated waiting.

She scanned the crowd that gathered, and was none too surprised to find not a single familiar face, so she headed to the baggage carousel instead to find her suitcase. She scoffed to herself that the only thing that could possible make her trip worse would be the loss of that piece of luggage. It would just be the cherry on the sundae at this point. She joined the masses and WAITED for her suitcase to pop up. Around they went. Black Samsonite. Ugly floral American Tourister. Purple Atlantic. Navy issue seabag. Tacky mustard yellow hard-sided. She counted one hundred and twenty six interlocking metal tiles, revolving around and around. Red Arizona hat case. Navy blue Jansport backpack. Black Samsonite. Ugly floral American Tourister. Finally, she saw her black bag pop up the chute. The pink ribbon she'd tied on the handle quickly identified it as hers. She elbowed her way through the crowd and grabbed it off the belt.

Following signs to the exit, she stood on the curb and contemplated her options. She could hire a cab, but out here the fare really would be half her paycheck. She could wait, but instinct and experience had taught her that her mother really wasn't coming. She was too drunk or too angry or too…Calleigh had stopped caring why. She just wasn't coming. She drew her cell phone out of her pocket and flipped it open, scrolling down her list of potential drivers. She paused on one particular number, a small, nostalgic smile gracing her features, and pressed "call." It only rang once before a welcomingly familiar voice answered.

"Hola."

"Hola." She responded, slipping back into Spanish as easily as her favorite pair of blue jeans. "Es Calleigh."

"Calleigh, mi estimada niña!" The familiar voice cooed, soothing Calleigh's frazzled nerves. "Dios mio! How are you, Sweetheart?"

"I'm fine." She lied. "I'm in Jackson. At the airport. My dad…"

"Warrener is on his way." The loving voice assured her. "How are you doing, mi niña? I am so sorry to hear about your father. He was a good man."

"I'm okay. Better now." She wasn't lying this time. Well, at least she wasn't lying about the last part. "You're sure it's not too late? I hate to ask, I know it's a long drive…"

"No sea tonto, mi estimada." Calleigh felt herself relaxing. Maybe it was a good thing her mother hadn't shown up. "We're always here when you need us."

"I know." She breathed. "Thank you, Abuela."

"You just sit tight." The softly accented English was a salve for Calleigh's soul. Happy memories gently crept into her mind and replaced her worries. She was fine. She really was. She still had her Opa and Abuela. He'd be here soon. She just had to wait a little longer.

Calleigh chose to stand the one and a half hours it took for her ride to appear. The battleship-sized Buick was at that point, the most beautiful automobile she had ever seen, and its driver, nothing short of angelic.

"Liebchen!" One word. It only took one word, and Calleigh felt like she was nine years old again, happily skipping along beside her Opa as they strolled by the creek. So many memories. She fairly collapsed into his arms, this sturdy angel of a man. The tears she'd held back so long came flooding out in a torrent as familiar arms held her tightly, whispering words in German that she enlivened memories she'd long since forgotten. "Liebchen, it will be alright."

"Opa," Her voice broke. "I missed you."

"I know." He mopped her tears with his ever-present handkerchief, and patted her on the head like she was still a child. "Come, Maitea is waiting." Calleigh just nodded and climbed into the car as he gathered up her luggage and placed it carefully in the trunk.

She slept most of the way to Darnell, awakening when she sensed the permanent cessation of motion.

"Come on." He urged. "We're here."

"I can stay at my mom's…" Defense mechanism still in place and operational, check.

"Maitea is waiting." He pointed to the kitchen window, where a figured hovered, watching.

Calleigh grinned, unlocked her seatbelt, and flew up the porch stairs, into the arms of the closest thing to a grandmother that she'd ever known. "Abuela!" The two women were still locked in tearful embrace when Warrener lumbered into the kitchen with her luggage.

"I'm so sorry." She tried to break free and apologize. "I should have taken care of that."

"In this house, you are not our guest." Maitea took Calleigh's face in both of her hands. "You are family, and you do not argue with our kindness."

Calleigh glanced around the kitchen. Not much had changed since the last time she'd sat at this very table, drinking hot chocolate with Abuela and talking about moving to Miami. It all seemed so very long ago. She couldn't believe how little some things had changed, and how very much others had.

"Sit." She was ordered, and complied. "I'll get you something to eat." Warrener returned from the back of the house and took a seat beside Calleigh at the worn kitchen table.

"Liebchen, how have you been?"

"I'm fine, you know, busy." She grasped his weathered hand in hers. "Work is good. I like Miami. How have you been?"

"Oh, fine, fine." He lilted, watching her carefully. "I'm not here to talk about me, though. My verlorene Tochter has come back at last. It's been a long time." He echoed her thoughts from earlier.

"Too long." She murmured. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this loved, in the midst of all the chaos. It was like this house was an anomaly in space and thermodynamics. Entropy ceased, chaos reversed, and only peace and calm were allowed within its confines. Einstein and Heisenberg were wrong. THIS was relativity and the absence of uncertainty. The state of being at rest, not in motion, observing and being observed without producing a change in the nature of the object. Nothing inside could escape its grasp. She never wanted to.

"Here you go." Maitea set a plate of food in front of her.

"Gazpacho." Calleigh smiled at her. "My favorite."

"Only the best for you, mi dulce." She cupped Calleigh's cheek lovingly with one hand, then turned to pour three glasses of sweet tea. She might not have been born in America, but she readily adopted the American southern tradition of sweet tea.

Calleigh blushed as the elderly couple doted on her, tried to refill her bowl a third time, convinced her to eat some cookies after declaring her "too thin." She tried to hide her exhaustion, but it really was futile. A mammoth yawn escaped her, and Abuela shot up out of her chair with grace and nimbleness belying her eighty three years.

"Off!" She ordered, shooing Calleigh up the stairs. "To bed with you."

Calleigh was too tired to protest. She turned before she entered the room she knew was for her. "Abuela." The older woman turned. "I-" That was as far as she got. Maitea gathered her sobbing dear one in her arms.

"Mi hija." She cooed. "It's going to be okay." It occurred to Calleigh that her Abuela attributed the tears to her father's death, but in truth, they were tears of joy. Tears that came with the release of years of pain and heartache, years spent without Warrener and Maitea around to soften the blows of the world. Still, her words wound their way into her heart and calmed her somewhat.

"I missed you." Calleigh hiccupped hoarsely.

"Sé. Le falté, también." Maitea kissed her cheek and released her, pushing her gently into the bedroom she'd come to think of as "Calleigh's." "Sleep." She ordered. "We'll talk in the morning."

Calleigh only nodded as Maitea shut the door. Changing quickly, she crawled into bed and closed her eyes, willing images of the important people in her life to pass through her memory to relax her into slumber. Maitea. Warrener. Eric…

Okay. My little secret. I speak basically no Spanish. I studied French. So, I'm trusting Babelfish and my one semester of university Spanish to muddle my way through the language. Also, I speak even less German. Sorry. I apologize for any translation mistakes, and please feel free to correct them. Here is a list of the translations to the best of my ability.

mi estimada niña: my dear child

Dios mio: my God

Mi niña: my child

No sea tonto, mi estimada: don't be silly, my dear

Abuela: grandmother (Spanish)

Opa: grandpa (German) Yes, I know. You don't understand, but you will. I promise.

Liebchen: sweetheart (German)

verlorene Tochter: lost daughter (the translation for prodigal was too long, I had to improvise) (German)

mi dulce: my sweet one

Sé. Le falté, también: I know. I missed you, too.

Okay. So, you made it through a relatively confusing chapter. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. I'll update asap and clear up any lingering confusion. Thanks for being patient and kind. The lovely people who reviewed are on my list of new favorite people in the universe. You were so kind, I decided to write two chapters today. I hope you like it.

Also, I still don't own any of the characters. Except Janey Kinsey, Maitea, and Werrener.


	6. The Thinking Tree

Never much of one to sleep, Calleigh was up early the next morning

Never much of one to sleep, Calleigh was up early the next morning. She put coffee on to percolate, slipped on her shoes and one of Warrener's jackets to ward against the cool morning air, and walked outside. This place, the quietness of it, the landscape, it all warmed her in spite of the temperature. She mindlessly roamed around to the back of the house and down a well-worn path to a little alcove of trees and flowers. Maitea's garden. She loved her flowers. Calleigh dropped to her knees in front of a group of calla lilies, no longer in bloom. Overhead an oak tree soared above her blocking her view of the sunrise. She sank into the damp grass, fingers clutching at it like Braille on her memory. She knew this garden, every inch of it. The rose trellis, the lilies, tulips and hyacinths and gladiolas. Maitea loved bulbs and roses. Only the old, fragrant English roses, not the new hybrids. Her mind drifted back to that fall so many years ago.

"_Just dig a hole, and drop it in." Maitea handed little Calleigh a trowel. _

"_How big down?" Green eyes questioned her, always wanting to please._

"_Two inches." Maitea held up her index finger. "Not quite this far down."_

_Calleigh went to work, digging the hold, carefully placing the bulb in the shallow depression and covering it up with earth. She grabbed the watering can and poured the cool moisture over top. _

"_How long until it's a flower?"_

"_We have to wait until spring for that." Maitea ruffled her hair with a clean hand. "The bulb needs the cold of the winter for it to become a flower in the spring. A time of rebirth. El renacimiento."_

"_El renacimiento." Calleigh repeated, smiling up at the older woman. _

"_Muy bueno." _

"_What kind of flower will it be?"_

"_A calla lily." Came Maitea's reply. "For Calleigh." _

_Four year old Calleigh's only reply was a high-pitched squeal and an impulsive hug. "My lily?" She jumped up and down, pointing to the freshly uncovered earth._

"_Your lily." Maitea's heart swelled. "All for you. You just wait. In the spring, it will be the grandest of them all." _

So intense was the memory that she did not hear the sound of footsteps approaching, or sense the body lowering itself down to sit next to her.

"I knew I'd find you here."

She turned her head, surprised. "I don't know why I came here. I just…"

"You always come here. To think." Warrener closed his hand around hers. "What are you thinking about today. Deep, heavy thoughts. I can tell."

"Just remembering." She murmured, pointing to the tract of land where she knew the lilies were laying dormant beneath. "Planting lilies with Maitea that first fall."

"Remember that?" He pointed at the tree canopying their heads.

"My oak tree?" It wasn't really a question. Of course she remembered. "My quiet oak."

"For thinking." He added. "We could always find you out here, under the oak tree thinking. It grew up with you."

"We planted it together." She smiled fondly. "You said I had to come every day to take care of it, and the lilies, so Maitea wouldn't have to."

"Ach." He grunted. "We just wanted to make sure you'd come back."

"I would have anyway."

"Ich wusste, dass es gut für dich war dich um etwas Lebendiges zu kümmern."

Calleigh smiled, not catching the exact translation of the words, but intuitively understanding their meaning. Warrener always did that, slipped into German with her. He had never tried to teach her the language, except for a few songs, though. He had always focused on teaching her other things, more useful than the language of his homeland.

"Breakfast is ready." He said absentmindedly, as if forgetting why he'd come out to fetch her in the first place.

Calleigh rose to her feet and extended her hand to help her Opa. Arm in arm, they trekked back to the house for their breakfast.

"I think I'll walk over to my mom's after breakfast." Calleigh announced while they were eating. "I need to start making the preparations for the funeral."

"Take the car." Warrener insisted.

"No. I couldn't." She protested. "You might need it."

"To go where?" Maitea laughed. "Our dance card is not full. Take the car."

Arguing would be pointless now, and probably seen as impolite, so Calleigh acquiesced, promising to fill up the tank with gas. That had caused another "argument," since her mother only lived three miles away, but Calleigh actually won that one, citing her probable need to run around town and find a funeral home, florist, speak with her father's attorney, etc. She really had no idea what she was supposed to do. It was a given that her mother would not be lending a hand in assistance. She felt very alone, and yet unconcerned at the feeling simultaneously. Things would work out. They always did when she was here with Opa and Abuela.

She tried the doorknob, and found it unlocked. "Mom?" She called out, her voice echoing in the empty rooms. "Mom, are you here? It's Calleigh." She heard a noise from the den, and followed it in.

"Mom, I just wanted to say h-" Her thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt. Calleigh's mother had been an alcoholic all her life, but she'd never seen her like this. Her father, yes, but not her mother. "Mom, it's eight thirty in the morning. What are you doing?" It slipped out before she could stop it, wincing even as she spoke. Mistake.

"I'm having a chat with my boys." Her mother clumsily knocked over a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels.

Calleigh surveyed the room. Jack, John, and Jose. Her mother's current drug of choice. "I'll go make some coffee." She turned and hurried out of the room, tears clouding her vision. It was worse than she remembered. She hustled around the kitchen, rummaging in cupboards for the items she was going to need. Mug for coffee. Glass for water. Asprin. She filled the glass and popped two aspirin into her mouth, laughing at the irony. She was going to have a headache after dealing with this. Refilling the glass, she sat it on a tray.

"Whaddare you doin' 'er?"

She spun around to find her mother inching her way along the way, wobbly in her drunken state.

"I have to plan the funeral, get Dad's affairs in order." She offered, knowing it wasn't the answer to the question intended.

"So whaddare you doin' 'er, then?" She slurred.

"I dropped by to say "hello." I wanted to see you." It was partly true. A part of Calleigh, deep inside where no one could see and she wouldn't admit it, she HAD wanted to see her mother. Not THIS person, this drunk-off-her-ass-by-eight thirty in the morning mother, but a real mother. A mother who would understand that her daughter was deeply upset by the death of her father – even if they marriage had ended on uncharitable terms. But, this was what she got. Calleigh didn't take the accusation seriously. Her mother always said things she didn't mean when she was drunk. Her mother said things she didn't mean a lot. What was that saying, though? In vino, veritas? She shook her head, and poured the coffee, setting the mug in front of her mother on the table.

"When didja get in?" Good lord, she didn't remember.

"Last night." Calleigh decided not to press the issue. Clearly, it had been a mistake to ask for her mother to pick her up. Lesson learned.

"Why didn't you call?"

"I did."

"I wouldda picked you up."

Calleigh smirked. "I think the states of Louisianna and Mississippi are both grateful that you didn't."

"Don't sass me, young lady. I'm still your mother." She shook her finger and stared accusingly at Calleigh.

She sank into one of the chairs. "I called you, Mom." She reminded gently. "You said you'd pick me up."

"I did?" Her mother wondered aloud. "I did." Still, the statement wasn't directed at Calleigh. "Well, I guess you got here."

Typical Mom, Calleigh though. Leave a mess, then let someone else clean it up. Thirty or so years ago, Beatrice Duquesne had been a force to be reckoned with. Regal and ready to conquer the world, provided she had her evening "chaser." But those chasers increased in volume and frequency over the years, and that left it's toll, on both she and her daughter. Calleigh couldn't quite remember all the details, but she had shadows of memories of her mother taking walks with her, playing. Parenting. She'd loved her daughter, though. Provided her with the best she could afford. But Beatrice was human – imperfect and flawed, and she'd made a few mistakes along the way. She never did understand that what Calleigh needed was a pair of loving arms around her, not an expensive sweater and giggling girltalk. Calleigh just needed someone she could depend on, but Beatrice was never quite able to get it right. She had tried, but her attempts had failed. She'd been a great shopping buddy, though, and Calleigh could trace her sense of style straight to her mother's watchful eye and instruction.

"I have to go to the lawyer's."

Her mother only nodded. "You stayin' with the Walmond's?"

"Yeah." She said it softly, as if the volume of her reply would determine the size of the reponse it would garner.

"Figures." Her mother snorted. "You always liked them better anyway."

"Mamma…" She stopped. "Mamma, you know that isn't true." She tried to think of a way to put it gently. "It's just, they're getting older, and I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. It means so much to them…"

"Doesn't matter." Her mother was sobering up a little, and now Calleigh was faced with bitter, sullen Beatrice.

"Okay, then." She smiled brightly. "I'll just get going. Lots to do today!" She pushed in the chair and grabbed her purse off the counter. Bending down to give her mother a kiss on the cheek, she waved goodbye and headed for the door.

"Calleigh." Her mother called.

"Yeah, Mamma?"

"It's good to see you."

Calleigh frowned a bit, then smiled, deciding to take the statement at face value. "You, too, Mamma." And with that, she turned and closed the door behind her.

Author's note. It is not my intention for you to hate Beatrice Duquesne. I tried not to write her too loathsomely, feel free to let me know if I did not succeed. It's a complicated relationship, but then, all mother-daughter relationships are.

Oh, yeah. This story will develop slowly. Stay with me. Review as you see fit.

Translations:

Ich wusste, dass es gut für dich war dich um etwas Lebendiges zu kümmern.: I know. It was good for you. To take care of the living things.

That's all I can type tonight. Enjoy. Don't forget to review. Also, you lovely people who have reviewed made my day! I adore you all.


	7. Fame

It took all day for Calleigh to work out the details

It took all day for Calleigh to work out the details. She had to pick out a casket, chose music for the service, approve an obituary (for once she was grateful she was from a small town where the you are afforded with these courtesies), pick out flowers, a headstone. It was overwhelming. For a fleeting moment, she considered driving back to Maitea and Warrener's house and asking them to help her, but, no. She was an adult. She was a Duquesne. She could do this one final thing for her father alone. Heaven knows she'd taken care of him enough when he was alive, this should be no problem. Finality at last.

Stepping into the kitchen later that evening, her senses were assaulted with familiar aromas. Maitea had been cooking all day. She opened the refrigerator and smiled at the sight. She'd made a feast, enough to feed the Darnell High School football team, if Calleigh wasn't mistaken. She grabbed a plate out of the cupboard and helped herself to a helping of tamales and rice. No body cooked like Maitea. Popping her plate into the microwave she turned around as a noise caught her attention.

"You found your dinner?"

"Yes, Abuela." Calleigh kissed the older woman's forehead. "Thank you. It smells amazing."

"Good." Maitea nodded. "Eat up. I made plenty. You need some meat on your bones." She pointed accusingly, though jokingly, to Calleigh's trim waistline.

"I'll do that."

The microwave beeped to signal it's completion of the cycle, and she grabbed her plate and sat down to eat.

"Did you get everything finished?" Maitea smoothed Calleigh's hair, standing beside her.

"I think so." She answered, mouth half full of tamale. "There's more to it than I imagined. I had no idea funerals were so complicated." She attempted a smile, but truthfully couldn't bring herself to complete it, and it died on her lips. "I have to talk to the attorney tomorrow about the estate."

"I will go with you." Maitea announced with purpose.

"You don't have to."

"I will go with you." She merely repeated, giving Calleigh her "look." The look that said, "Don't argue with me, little lady." Calleigh smiled, and nodded.

"Thank you."

"No thanks." She was in the refrigerator again, grabbing something from a covered dish. "I made banana empanadas." She placed two on a plate, and sat it in front of Calleigh on the table, and went out the back door to the screened-in patio.

Calleigh couldn't bring herself to speak. How she'd missed this. This love. This acceptance. This pampering. True, she fancied herself quite the modern, independent woman, capable of caring for herself, cooking, paying, being on her own. But this – this idea of family – people who love you unconditionally, without reserve and without regard for your capacity to pay it back – this was heaven to her. People she could depend on. People she could trust. In all her life, Calleigh had known that the only people she could truly, absolutely depend on where Maitea and Warrener. They were always there when she needed them, and she'd never even had to ask. Well, she mentally amended her statement; she knew she could depend on Eric. He always TRIED to be there for her, and that had to count for something. She couldn't fault him if he wasn't around by virtue of her own defenses, her own standoffishness. She kept him at arms length, assuring him that he could tell her anything, that she'd help him with anything, while refusing to accept the same kindness when he tried so considerately to extend it to her.

She poured herself a glass of milk, and sat down to her empanadas, deep in thought. Maitea and Warrener. They'd tried to protect her, shield her from the world from the day they met, thirty or so odd years ago. It had been Warrener who'd sparked her interest in science. He was the physics teacher at the high school. They'd go on long hikes through the woods, identifying plants and animals, tracks, and bugs. He took her stargazing, watching meteor showers and comets, explaining the basic concepts of cosmology and astronomy in simple, age appropriate terms. They'd built model rockets when she'd grown older, Warrener insisting that she master the physics and calculus necessary to explain their motion before she could launch them. She'd spent hours in his study, pouring over physics texts even as a small child. She could calculate the trajectory of a bottle rocket when she was twelve, adjust for wind when she was fifteen, and by her senior year in high school, she was taking correspondence classes with a university to advance her mathematical abilities having long since passed her teachers.

Maitea had taught her Spanish, instilled a love of language and all things beautiful. She was an artist, a painter, and Calleigh had lost track of the hours she'd spent curled up under a blanket on the back porch watching Maitea paint and repeating Spanish phrases, mastering the language. Maitea had been more of a mom to her than her biological mother, and Calleigh had insisted on calling her "Abuela" as a spoken symbol of her love for the gentle woman. It had been Maitea who explained to a frightened Calleigh what it meant to "become a woman" as she put it. Maitea had baked birthday cakes for private celebrations, and taught Calleigh how to bake as well. Neither one of them, Maitea or Warrener, had ever missed a school performance; she'd dragged them both to Grandparent's Day, much to the chagrin of her actual grandparents. When Calleigh was a senior in high school, Adam Reynolds asked her to the senior prom. She was so ecstatic, but she needed a dress. Her parents could have afforded a lovely dress, and her mother would have gladly gone shopping with her, but she didn't need to. Maitea had seen Calleigh leafing through magazines, gazing at the dresses and talking excitedly about what kind of gown she wanted. Two weeks later, Maitea had shyly presented her with a stunning dress, the exact materialization of what Calleigh had described. Midnight blue and floor length. Satin material that rustled when she walked. Simple and elegant and perfect. Calleigh had been speechless with emotion, and she found she still choked on her milk a little as she thought about it. She still had the dress, tucked safely in the back of her closet, delicately preserved with plastic and mothballs. She'd never seen such a beautiful gown, and she had never felt as beautiful as she had that night, a shimmering star in a vision of blue.

When Calleigh went off to Tulane for university, she'd gotten what she considered deathly ill her freshman year. She was never sure how Maitea knew, since she never mentioned it to her, but within three days, her Abuela had taken a bus to New Orleans, arms laden with homemade soup and family remedies, and taken up residence in Calleigh's dorm room, hovering and cooing over her. She stayed two weeks until Calleigh had recovered from the bout of pneumonia, fussing and dashing about to the doctor, getting her notes from professors and fellow students. She'd even improvised a kitchen in the common area, and cooked up masses of food for the other students on her floor. After that, Calleigh had been quite a celebrity around campus. Maitea had, unknowingly, made her famous, at least with the freshmen, and prevented her from ever being lonely while she was away at school. After the dinners Maitea fixed them, everyone wanted to hang out with Calleigh, take notes for her in class, study with her in the library, work on projects with her…date her. She smiled at the memory of a group of awkward eighteen year old male physics and engineering majors from her freshman physics class, clustered around her in lecture. Following her around campus. It had been a LITTLE annoying, but she was never lonely. And the boys DID come in handy occasionally. She was always safe on campus. Never had to walk home from the library alone at night, never had to climb on one of those precarious stools the library had to reach a book off the high shelf. She had her fan club to take care of those things. All thanks to Maitea. Or so she thought. The truth was, though Calleigh would never realize it, was that out of the handful of female physics majors, she was by far the prettiest. And the sweetest. The boys flocked to her for her spirit, her vigor, her kindness, her beauty, and her brains. Of course, the home cooked meals didn't hurt, either.

Chapter seven, done at last. Pretty much the whole story is mapped out already, but the rate limiting step here is TIME to type. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to all who reviewed, and corrected my babelfish German! Lol That's what I get for studying French instead! I hope this is coherent. R/R


	8. Lessons

Back in Miami, Eric was scrambling to make it to work on time

Back in Miami, Eric was scrambling to make it to work on time. He had stayed up late the night before, contemplating what his surprise for Calleigh should be. In the end, all he had to show for his effort was too little sleep and a dearth of ideas. He briefly considered scavenging the ballistics lab for ideas, but it felt like an invasion of her privacy. He was acutely aware of how much Calleigh valued her privacy, and he was loath to encroach upon it without invitation. He mulled over uninspiring ideas all day as he worked, identifying evidence and writing reports. It was a slow day, but he didn't mind the way he usually did. Today, the lapse in activity meant he could think, really think about how Calleigh operated. The things that made her tick, things that were important to her. Unfortunately all he had come up with was "she likes guns." Could it be possible that really was ALL he knew about her? No. He had to dig deeper. There was something there, but he was missing it. Whipping out his cell phone, he dialed is sister.

"Hey, baby brother." He could hear squeals in the background. Nephews and nieces squabbling with each other.

"Is this a bad time?" He was getting desperate, but still, he was raised to be considerate.

"Not at all." Cristina assured him. "Just breaking up the four hundred and eighty-fifth fight today. You know how it is." He did. He'd babysat enough to really FEEL her pain. "What can I do for you?"

"I need your help."

"Eric, you're gonna have to give me a little more than that." She laughed. "Do you need food? A ride? Bail? Medical attention? I hope it's just food, because that's about all I can help you with right now."

He laughed dryly. "Yeah, Cris. I need bail money."

"Come on. Out with it."

"I need advice…" He hated to do this. "With a girl."

"Romeo needs girl advice?" She teased gently. "Your old dinner, flowers, and a movie trick isn't working on her? This one must be special."

"It's not like that." He stopped. He wanted it to be like that. "And she IS special."

"Ooohhh." Understanding dawned on her. "So, you want me to help you woo her?"

"Maybe."

"What's she like?"

"Perfect." Eric sighed.

"Please tell me you did not just say that – Mikey, you BETTER stop that! Don't hit your sister!" Sigh. "Sorry. My children are trying to kill each other."

"S'okay."

"Alright." Cristina had to think for a moment. "What are her hobbies? What does she do for fun?"

"Work?" He guessed.

"Favorite color?"

"Umm, blue." He guessed. They'd never had the "what's your favorite color" conversation. It seemed juvenile before, but now he saw the value in asking the little questions.

"Favorite food?"

"She likes Italian. And Mexican. And Chinese." This one he knew. They had shared enough meals for him to know all her dietary preferances – or at least MANY of them.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Cristina laughed. "Okay, you can cook. Make her Italian."

"What else ya got?" He queried.

"Seriously, Eric." She reprimanded. "Have you ever even talked to this girl?"

"Yes, I have." He defended. "I just…I don't know. I promised her a surprise. I don't want to disappoint her."

"Do you know any of her friends?" She was certain she could be of no more help to him.

"A few."

"Talk to them." She shook her head even though he couldn't see her. "They'll be of more use to you than I can. Sorry, Eric."

"Not your fault." This was just disappointing. "Thanks anyway."

"No prob."

They hung up, and he shuffled his way down the hallway, looking for inspiration. Natalia? Too…awkward. Plus he wasn't entirely certain of how well she knew Calleigh. Horatio was out. Alexx was his best bet. She and Calleigh talked sometimes, and she was a very intuitive person.

He headed down to the morgue, dreading the ensuing conversation. "It's for Calleigh" he repeated in his head. He could handle some embarassement for Calleigh, and Alexx was entirely too kind to deliberately make him uncomfortable…well, too terribly uncomfortable anyway. He figured she'd make him pay a little. He peered into the morgue, hoping for a millisecond that she wasn't there, that he could be spared this interaction for a few more minutes.

Alexx looked up the second he poked his head in. "I told Horatio I'm not done yet!" She chided him. "Tell him to stop sending his cronies down here. I'll finish when I finish."

He heard the laughter in her voice, and could clearly see the frustration behind her eyes. "Just because I'm Russian doesn't mean I'm some mafia crony, ya know." He teased.

"Yeah, well, I think Horatio would prefer it if you were at the moment." She kept doing…whatever she was doing. He tried not to look. Autopsies always bothered him. He simply did not understand how Alexx could do this job. "He keeps breathing down my neck. I told him, "I'll give you the report when I'm finished with it. And he keeps coming down here, trying to rush me. Do not rush me!" She looked him straight in the eye accusatorily.

"He's just stressed about the case." Eric reasoned.

"Well, rushing me isn't going to relieve any of that stress, so he can just simmer down." She pushed her eye protection up with the back of her wrist. "But if you're not here about that, what CAN I do for you, Baby?" Only Alexx could call him Baby and NOT make it sound like an innuendo. The woman's ability for compassion was infinite.

"I…" He squirmed. "I need some advice." He rushed the last part out, paling considerably.

"About?"

He closed his eyes and took one long, deep breath. "A girl. A woman." He corrected himself.

"A woman." Alexx's eyes widened and she nodded in approval. "Anyone I know?" She was toying with him. He had only half expected that. Damn her. She read him like a book – she read everyone like a book.

"Maybe." Evasive much? _Come on, Delko_, he thought to himself.

"Ahhh. Calleigh." She smiled and continued the knowing nod.

"Yeah, but not like that." He didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. Not that he didn't LIKE the idea, but he wanted to maintain Calleigh's privacy, her trust. "Her dad died, you know-"

"What?" Alexx's head shot up. "When?"

"Two days ago?"

"I didn't know." Her eyes clouded in sympathy, shared grief. "Poor baby, how's she holding up?"

"She's in Louisianna. And I'm not sure anyone knew but H. and me."

"We should send flowers. When's the funeral?"

Flowers. Of course. Why didn't he think of flowers.

"Um. Dunno."

"Eric!"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He held up his hands in defense. "I'll find out. I promise."

She waved her scalpel at him. "You be sure to do that."

"So…Calleigh?"

"Right, Honey. What advice do you need?"

"I screwed up. I said something kind of…insensitive." He grimaced at the memory of his faux pas. "I promised her I'd do something to make up for it when she gets home."

"She's not mad at you, you know?" How come SHE knew? How did she do that?

"I know, but I still feel bad." He really did, too. He'd cut his own heart out before he hurt hers.

"So you want to do something nice for Calleigh." She affirmed. "What are your ideas so far? What kind of thing do you have in mind?"

"Nothing, yet." That was the truth, too. He hadn't felt this clueless about a girl since he was fifteen. His sister was right, though. This one WAS special.

"Just spend some time with her, be there for her. That should do it." Calleigh wasn't exactly a high-maintenance girl. Alexx did have a point, except for one thing.

"Calleigh doesn't like to let people in." What he really meant was, _"Calleigh doesn't like to let ME in."_

"She does keep a stiff upper lip, doesn't she?" He smiled at the analogy. Very British. Very Calleigh.

"Do the best you can, Sweetie." She felt for him. It was obvious how deeply this man cared for her. "Just…don't push her. She'll come to you when she's ready."

He groaned silently. He'd been telling himself that for years now. She was showing no signs of being ready. He was getting impatient. After his shooting, he realized how transient life was, how it could all change in an instant, with every breath he took. The thoughts were reaffirmed when she was kidnapped, he heart clenched into knots the entire time she was missing. He was certain he'd held his breath all day, not breathing at all until they'd taken down her attackers and she'd stood free before him, trying not to tremble in public. Then the knots in his heart from fear were replaced with a certain constriction in his stomach. The absence of closeness, physical intimacy. Not in the sexual way, just touching. He wanted to touch her. Her arm. Her hand. Reassure himself of her physical existence, the beating heart inside her. He'd settled for her elbow, that was innocent enough, but it only whetted his appetite. He wanted to crush her against him, hold her so tightly nothing could ever get between them and hurt her again, and never let go. She'd let him drive her home, but they didn't really talk at all. She closed herself off to him, never allowing herself to show an inkling of weakness. It irritated him on some level, that she didn't allow herself to be open with him. He considered her his closest friend, but he was uncertain if she put that much stock in him. She'd let him hold her this time, though. He'd even gotten away with a quick kiss pressed to her hair without the knee to the groin that he had half expected to experience. Maybe…

"Eric." Alexx was waving her hand in front of his face. "You still with me?"

"Yeah." He signed. "Just thinking. Sorry."

"Eric, I know how you feel about her." She removed her gloves and washed her hands. "Just do what feels right."

He eyed her skeptically. Somehow, didn't think she would respond well to him following that particular bit of advice.

"Make sure she knows she's safe." Alexx did have a degree of insight in the mind of Calleigh Duquesne. "Not physically safe, of course she knows that. Make sure she knows…make sure she knows she's emotionally safe with you." What Alexx knew of Calleigh's personal life was sparse, but she had gleaned enough small details to understand that Calleigh was a woman who guarded her emotions with ferocity out of fear of them being used against her.

"How do I do that?" He thought he'd established that years ago.

"Baby, just be yourself."

Not helpful.

"Alexx." He leaned against the wall and hit his forehead with the heel of his hand.

"You want something tangible." She didn't have to ask. "When's she coming home?"

"Sunday."

"When?"

"Um, elevenish." He had it written down somewhere.

"Morning?" He nodded.

"Take her home, don't make a big theatrical production. She's not into that." She paused thoughtfully. "You can cook, right?" Alexx though she remembered a conversation about him making…something. She couldn't remember. Another nod affirmed her memory was intact. "Fix her something simple. Watch a movie with her. Comedy." She asserted. "Nothing sad. Just be with her. Your presence will be more helpful than you think."

She thought for a moment longer. "Or take her some place quiet, away from the city. Away from people."

This idea had potential.

"Like Everglades?"

"Sure."

He knew exactly what he was going to do. "Thanks, Alexx. You're the best." He turned and rushed out the door.

"Get me the date of the funeral!" She called after him, smiling with amusement. Ahh, to be young and in love.

"Anything for you!" He flashed her his patented Eric Delko smile, and sauntered back to his lab. He knew exactly what he was going to do for Calleigh.

A/N. Alexx is hard for me to characterize, and I made up Eric's sister's name. R/R


	9. Open Up

Note: I still don't own the characters except for Maitea, Warrener, and anyone else you don't recognize from TV

Note: I still don't own the characters except for Maitea, Warrener, and anyone else you don't recognize from TV. Enjoy.

The next day or two passed in a blur for Calleigh. Before she knew it she was sitting in front of her father's casket holding a single rose and a waterfall of unshed tears. Maitea and Warrener sat on either side of her, rubbing her back and grasping an elbow each. The minister was saying…something. She couldn't pay attention, she could only stare at the cherry casket, that abomination. That hideous thing holding her father's body. The obituary said he died of a heart attack. That made sense, she reasoned. He drank, smoke, ate greasy southern food. Her father was not a man who cared for his health. She knew it was unreasonable, but she'd always just figured he'd always be around. Her daddy. Drunk and flawed and…hers. He loved her. She'd never questioned that. This hole she felt, this gaping, oozing hole in her heart was going to take some getting used to. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with a tissue.

"Just a little longer, Liebchen." Opa whispered. She nodded a response.

People stood and filed around. She placed her rose on the top of the casket and gulped. If she didn't leave soon, she was going to flood the cemetery with her tears. Once she started, she was uncertain if she could stop them. Ever. Thankfully, Maitea drew an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the waiting car. These two practically had "Calleigh ESP." They knew – had always known – exactly what she needed, exactly what she was feeling. They drove her home in silence, ushering her into the living room and onto the couch.

A mug of tea was placed in her hands, and a blanket draped around her shoulders. She slipped her shoes off and reclined a bit onto the sofa. A shrill ringing awakened her a few hours later. Grabbing her purse she rummaged around and grabbed her cell phone. Popping it open she pressed "answer" without even looking to see who was on the other line.

"Hey, there." She smiled at the familiar voice.

"Eric." She yawned drowsily.

"Did I wake you up?"

"No, no." She yawned again. "Well, yes, but it's okay. I shouldn't have been sleeping anyway."

"You okay?" He sounded genuinely concerned, but then again, he WAS genuinely concerned.

"I guess." It was as close to honest as she'd been with herself, let alone with him.

"Anything I can do?"

"I don't know."

Eric's heart squeezed inside his chest. She sounded so lost and far away. At least she wasn't trying to convince him she was "fine," though. He supposed this was a step in the right direction. Maybe the trick to this was calling her when she was sleeping and getting her to talk before she reinstalled those impenetrable defense mechanisms. Before she realized how honest she was being with him.

"How have you been?"

He frowned at what he perceived to be Calleigh's attempt to change the subject. Maybe she wasn't being all that open after all.

"Alright, I guess." He decided to play it out. "Not too busy."

"That's good." There was an awkward pause.

"Cal," he started. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Eric."

"How are you REALLY?" He was taking a chance, and he hoped it didn't backfire on him.

"Tired."

It was a start. At least it was honest.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And…I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet."

Eric smiled a little, despite his concern for her. Maybe honest, open Calleigh was still around.

"The flowers were beautiful."

"It wasn't my idea." He had to come clean. "Alexx insisted on carnations."

"Still," she continued. "Thank you." She paused again. "Eric?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do I owe you for the plane ticket?"

He smiled. He had seen this coming. "Don't worry about it."

"Eric." She warned.

"Calleigh, really. Don't worry about it. It was the least I could do."

"I can find out on my own, you know." She cautioned, amused slightly.

"Call it two hundred even?" He bargained.

"And the upgrade?" She smiled. "How much did that run you?"

"Don't worry about it." She could see his smile in her mind, his eyes shining.

"Alright." She drawled.

Her accent was thicker than ususal. He closed his eyes and replayed her words in his head. He loved that accent, so genteel, so…Calleigh.

"Alexx wanted me to say "hi" for her. She sends her regards."

"Yeah, I talked to her yesterday."

Eric's eyes widened. Surely she hadn't spoken of their conversation the other day in the morgue.

"Can I ask a small favor?" His voice was quiet, soft.

"Sure, Eric." Perky Calleigh was back. "What do you need?"

"No, no. Not that kind of favor. I need permission."

"Permission?" She repeated. "From me?"

"Yeah." He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I need to go in your house and get a few things."

She couldn't remember him leaving anything. "Sure, what do you need?"

I can't tell you." He replied cryptically. "I promised you a surprise, and if I told you, then I'd spoil it."

Calleigh had a brief vision of Eric digging in her bookshelves, her cabinets. It shocked her that she didn't really mind. "If you make a mess of my house…" She cautioned.

"I won't. No messes, I promise." He chuckled.

"Do I get a hint?" Her voice was achingly teasing.

"Nope."

"First letter of the first word? Anything?" She was smiling now. It felt good to smile again.

"Uh uh." He grinned at her, even though she couldn't see him. He had no idea she'd react this way to a surprise. "You were a kid who peaked at Christmas present's, weren't you?"

"Me?" She feigned innocence. "Never. Not li'l ole ME! I was a perfect child." She teased, thickening her accent with a purpose.

"You were a terror, weren't you?"

"Maybe." She laughed outright. "Yeah, kinda. Just too curious for my own good, that's all."

"I can see that. Do you want me pick you up from the airport?" He tried to change the subject. If she pushed him too much longer, he was liable to cave and tell her everything. She had this intoxicating effect on him, she made it hard for his brain to function. Especially now with her voice all teasing and her accent as thick as the summer humidity.

"You don't…have to." She reasoned.

"You got other plans, then?"

"Not exactly. I asked Alexx, but she said she was busy."

"Then I'll be there." God bless Alexx. He knew it had been a good idea to approach her for assistance.

"Then I guess I'll see you Sunday."

"Sure thing." He didn't really want to hang up yet. "Oh, Calleigh?" Maybe he'd have to divulge a little of the secret.

"Uh, huh?"

"Do you have old clothes with you?"

"No, why?" Her curiosity was piqued again.

"Do you mind if I grab you some?" He hoped she wouldn't be too upset about his request. "You'll need them."

She pondered her options for a moment, and he mistook her silence for displeasure. "It's okay. I'll think of something else." _Smooth, Delko. Smooth_.

"My old jeans are hanging in the closet." She cut in abruptly. "They're…will you remember if I describe them?"

Eric's eyes lit up like a child at Christmas. "Let me grab a pen." He reached across the coffee table and retrieved a pen and an old envelope.

He quickly scribbled down her choice of jeans and shoes, amazed at this new development. True, he had initiated it, but the mere fact that Calleigh was going along with his idea…he decided to stop thinking about it for the moment.

"That it?" He looked at the paragraph she'd recited. He had no idea women's clothes were this complicated. To him a pair of jeans was just that – a pair of jeans. To Calleigh, however, they were light rinse, low rise, boot leg Seven's with the GOLD stitching, not the white, and gold detail on the back pockets. Size twenty five, not twenty six. He wondered why women always had clothes in different sizes. It made more sense to just buy the one size and stick with it to him. He may have four sisters, but he's still a man. _Women_, he figured.

"That should do it."

He paused, uncertain. "Hey, Cal?"

"Yeah."

"What's your favorite color?" He knew it sounded silly, but he was no longer the kind of man to sit around and wait.

"My favorite color?" She repeated, confused.

"Yeah. What's your favorite color?"

"Blue. Definitely blue. Or pink."

He chuckled at this. "You don't know?"

"Well, I've never really thought about it." God, how he loved her voice. "I own a lot of blacks and greys, but I have lots of other colors, too. I guess it's blue."

"Blue." He repeated softly, mostly to himself as if this newfound information was the most important thing he'd heard all day.

"What's yours?" Her question interrupted his thoughts.

"Um…" He paused, thinking.

"Kinda puts you on the spot, doesn't it?" She teased, understanding.

"Yeah." He paused thoughfully. "Blue. Like the ocean." He qualified. He'd always been a water baby.

Calleigh yawned again, though she tried to hide it.

"I should let you go." He wasn't really ready to hang up, but it sounded like she needed sleep.

"Okay." She agreed, yawning again.

"I'll see you soon." He promised.

"Okay."

She clicked her phone closed, and smiled as Maitea walked in carrying a tray of goodies.

"How are you holding up, mi dulce?"

"Better than before." Maitea sized her up for a moment before nodding. She appeared to be telling the truth. "Good." She passed out the goodies. Pecan pie, cookies, brownies. Kenwall Duquesne had been a well-respected man, and people of the community spared no expense in sending their condolences in sugary, calorie-laden ways. Calleigh claimed the pie and took a bite.

"So," Maitea began, having secretly overheard Calleigh's conversation earlier. "Tell me, is there anyone…special in your life?"

"Not really." Calleigh answered without thinking about it. She was mostly truthful.

"Not a single man in Miami can catch your eye?" Maitea decided on the brownie.

"I'm just really busy, is all." She had a list of excuses as long as her arm.

"Tell me about this "Eric" person on the phone with you." Her Abuela prompted. If Calleigh wasn't going to offer, she was going to pry. It was her right as adopted grandma.

"Eric?" Calleigh realized she'd been listening. "He's a friend of mine from work."

"He makes you laugh." Maitea observed.

"He's very sweet."

"And…" She prompted.

"And he's been a very good friend to me."

"Niña, do you mean he's not interested?"

"It's not that." Calleigh tried not to reveal too much. "We work together. It's not allowed. There's rules against it."

"Rules?" Maitea scoffed. "What does love know of rules?"

"We could lose our jobs." Calleigh's list of excuses were not going to be of much use to her against Maitea's wisdom, but she tried anyway.

"But that's not the real reason, is it?"

"Abuela." She pleaded.

"This Eric, what's he like?"

Apparently, her puppy-dog eyes weren't working today. "He's…I don't know. He's nice."

"Nice is a good start." Her Calleigh always had trouble opening herself up to people. Maitea understood why, but she hoped now she could steer her beloved child in the direction of…love. "What else?"

"He has a degree in chemistry." Calleigh decided to go with superficials. "He's a world-class swimmer. He works in trace evidence, and does underwater collection of our crime scenes." So far so good.

"So he's employed, intelligent, and athletic." Maitea was never a woman to mince words. "Good combination. Go on."

"Abuela." She tried again with the eyes, but Maitea wasn't having any of it.

"Niña." She cautioned.

"We're close. He's probably the closest friend I have in Miami." Calleigh admitted defeat and indulged the older woman. "He…he's very…gentle." It was the best adjective she could come up with. That one word described his every interaction with her. She smiled as fond memories of the two of them drifted across her mind.

"And he is good to you?"

"Always."

"Does he feel for you?" Maitea's heart beat faster. Perhaps her little one would find peace and happiness at last.

"He does." Calleigh admitted, looking away. She'd known for a while. The recent written confirmation had been quite unnecessary, welcome, but unnecessary.

"You have feelings for him." She didn't need to ask, so she didn't.

"I…" Calleigh couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.

"You have to open yourself up to receive love, Niña." Maitea held Calleigh's hand gently. "Do you think this Eric would hurt you ever?" Maybe she just needed a little…push.

"No, no never." She fiddled with her fork, eyes downcast. She'd never admitted it out loud before. It both sent chills of fear through her and made her warm inside, deep down.

"So?" Maitea patted her hand and rose from the sofa. "What are you going to do about it, then?" With that, she took the now empty plates and went back to the kitchen, leaving Calleigh to contemplate her words.

Author's POST-Note: Thank you so much to everyone who reviews for me. You are all very sweet and encouraging. I'm so touched that this has been so well received, I definitely didn't foresee this generous a response. I am happy to write for such a lovely audience. I've never really had much in the way of biological family, so I based Calleigh's Abuela on my dear friend's German Oma. I only met her once, but I was so struck by her energy and vitality. The entire family welcomed me with open arms, and her Oma in particular went out of her way to make me feel at ease at the family gathering I attended. Maitea is sort of my tribute to "Oma," who is, in my opinion, the perfect grandma.


	10. Truth or Fiction

"Excuse me

"Excuse me." Calleigh apologized as she whirled around, her carry-on swinging with her and hitting a passenger standing close to her. "I'm so sorry."

The now-bruised man looked her up and down slowly, sending chills down her spine – and not the good kind. "S'alright, little lady." He slurred.

Ugh. He was drunk already. They hadn't even boarded yet. Calleigh tried to back up as unobtrusively as possible, looking for an opening in the crowd. Maitea and Warrener had dropped her off early that morning, hugging tearful goodbyes, and letting her go only if she promised to visit again soon. Maitea had filled up every container she could find with food and sent it home with her.

"_It's what all good Abuela's do." She reasoned as Calleigh tried to protest. _

"_Really, Abuela, I don't need that much." _

"_Find someone to share it with, then." She winked at her, and Calleigh blushed. Point taken._

_Warrener had been more tight-lipped, reticent to discuss her impending departure. They'd gone for long walks like they used to, more silent now. He found he missed her childish chatter terribly. Now they walked, arm in arm, in companionable silence. _

"_How long have you known Abuela?" Calleigh's question surprised him._

"_Since 1947." He replied. "She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen." _

_They lapsed into silence once more. _

"_Will you come for the holidays?" He missed his Liebchen. She had been such an important part of the family for so long. It didn't seem like Christmas without her._

"_I'd like that." He noticed she didn't say "yes," but dropped the subject. She knew she was invited._

"_What made you stay away so long?" He changed his mind, deciding to ask after all._

"_I don't know." She answered honestly. "I just felt like, if I came back, I'd never be able to leave. You know?" _

_He did. He felt the same way about his home, back in Bavaria. It was nothing like Darnell, Louisanna, but this was home now. _

"_It's not that I didn't want to see you." She stopped, worried he'd been offended by her absence. "I…" She paused, searching for the words to express the emotion. "I wasn't sure I could handle it."_

"_I understand, Liebchen. I do." He hugged her with one arm, and continued walking. "Just, don't stay away so long from now on, gut?"_

"_Gut." She repeated, smiling._

_Calleigh was leaving all that behind her now. Leaving it again. Her heart had nearly broken when she left for university. Honestly, she'd never missed her parents. She was grateful to be away from their bickering over china and bank accounts. But she had physically ached with grief at the separation from Maitea and Warrener. She had never wanted to be away from them, even as a child. She remembered crying when her parents bought a house three miles away and moved her down the road. _

"_It's only three miles, Liebchen." Opa bounced her on his knee, wiping at her tears. "You can still come visit us." _

"_Three miles, three HUNDRED miles." She'd exploded, sobbing. "I won't go." _

"_You have to." Abuela handed her a tissue. "Blow." She commanded._

"_I'll run away." She threatened._

"_You'll do no such thing!" Opa was not messing around. He softened his tone. "Liebchen, if you can't change what's happening, you have to change how you're looking at it."_

"_What can I do?" She'd sobbed. At seven years old, little Calleigh was just not prepared to think this philosophically on her own. "They won't listen. It's so far away."_

"_If you can't change the distance, what can you change?"_

"_I don't know." _

"_Think, Liebchen." He encouraged. "Yes, you do."_

"_But it'll take forever to get here!" She wailed. "I'll never be able to come."_

"_So find a way to go faster." _

_Calleigh thought about it for a moment. She'd only ever considered WALKING to their house. It was just across the street and down a few hundred yards. "I have a bike." She offered, calming a bit. "That would be faster." _

"_Gutes Mädchen." He praised, pushing her long, blond braids behind her back. _

_Warrener always made her think, find ways to solve her problems. It made her a good scientist, and an extraordinary CSI. She'd taken his advice, too. Every day, she came got off the school bus, grabbed her bicycle out of the shed, and pedaled as fast as her legs would take her to see Maitea and Warrener. Abuela was always waiting, ready with snacks and hugs. Opa helped her with her homework at the kitchen table. After, they would go for walks or Maitea would teach her new Spanish phrases over a plate of cookies and hot chocolate. When it got late, she would ride back home to find her house empty. She'd brush her teeth, wash her face, lay out clothes for the next day, and go to bed. Calleigh learned to be self-sufficient at a young age, and found it difficult, even as an adult, to step back and allow others to do things for her. Well, it was hard to let people other than the Walmond's to help her. _

Calleigh shook her head, clearing her thoughts away, grabbed her shopping bag stuffed with food, and followed the line of people to board her plane.

"Finally." She muttered to herself. Four hours, two airports, and one bumpy plane ride with a screaming baby later, the captain gave the "okay" for them to all exit. She remained seated as the first of the stampede passed by. It wasn't worth getting trampled to stand and wait for her ride. Grabbing her belongings, she headed off the plane, nodding a tight smile at the flight attendants who greeted her.

Most of the crowd had thinned out as she entered the terminal through the last checkpoint. Her eyes were downcast, but she caught a glimpse of something that made her turn and look. There, in front of her, leaning casually against a pillar, was Eric. Her heart skipped a beat, and she wasn't certain if it was because for once she didn't have to wait for a ride, or because it was him, physically and in person standing in front of her looking ruggedly casual and handsome. She'd rarely seen him so dressed down. The outdoorsy look suited him well, she decided, walking up with a smile.

"Hey, you!" She grinned, suddenly shy.

"Hey yourself." He pushed himself off the pillar, and took her bags from her, noting her absence of protest. "How was your flight?"

"Loud. Screaming infant." She shook her head to rid herself of the memory. "And bumpy."

"You look no worse for the wear." He observed. She'd never looked better to him, funny airplane hair and all.

"Tell that to my head." She joked, then regretted it as his smile dissolved into worry.

"Do you need some aspirin?" He stopped her, hand on her shoulder. "I have some in the car, I can go get it."

His offer was touching, truly, but she wasn't in that much pain. "It can wait." She assured him. "I'll take you up on the offer once we get to the car."

He stood in front of her, memorizing her face. He knew every inch of already, but she looked different. More…rested. Peaceful. He looped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her to him, walking forward and forcing her to come along as well.

"It's good to have you back." He understated.

She tipped her head and met his eyes. "It's good to be back."

"What's all this stuff?" He held the shopping bag in front of him, indicating.

"Food." Came her simple reply.

"Your mom?" He asked, not quite understanding the family dynamic. "Mine does the same thing, always sending me –"

"Not my mom." She broke in, shaking her head and looking at her shoes. Her family was so different from his.

Eric didn't quite know how to respond to this change in demeanor. He replayed the conversation in his head, searching for something that could have been upsetting, and not finding anything. "Grandma?" He tried again.

"Sort of."

He just eyed her, confused.

"I'll explain, just not here." She glanced around at the throngs of people waiting to collect their bags, and he understood. Calleigh did not do personal conversations in public places. He grinned as he watched her watch the conveyor belt. This was going to work out great.

Once all the bags were collected and deposited safely in the trunk, Eric grabbed the bottle of pain killers and handed it and a bottle of water to Calleigh.

"Take these." He urged. "They'll help with the head."

She'd just grinned at him, and popped two into her mouth, sighing as the cool water quenched her parched throat. "So," her eyes widened. "What's this surprise I keep hearing about?"

"You'll see." He answered coolly, steering the car through airport traffic.

She pretended to pout for a moment, then thought better of it. "We're heading west." She observed.

"I'll blindfold you if you don't stop that." He teased. What did he expect, though, in all honesty? He was trying to pull a fast one on Calleigh, of all people. No one was more observant than Calleigh. She was probably already factoring their direction and speed into velocity and using it to triangulate distance with an estimated time of arrival. He shook his head and grinned, eyes forward.

"Something funny there, Delko?" She teased. It was good to be home.

"Naw." He turned his grin to her. "Just thinking."

Calleigh felt bad. She had promised to explain things to him. Promised herself that she'd explain things to him, but now she found her courage failing. She was always so much braver inside her own head, so much more articulate. Words failed her when she opened her mouth to verbalize her thoughts. She tried to console herself, deciding it was the vehicle that was preventing her from talking. She didn't want to distract Eric while he was driving. That would just be unsafe! She knew it was just another excuse, though. And not a very good one, at that.

"Are we there, yet?" She asked, eliciting a hearty laugh from Eric.

"No. And stop that." It was good to have her home. He'd missed her more than he'd realized.

"How far is it?"

"Far enough."

"That's not an answer." She pointed her finger at him. He was enjoying this.

"It's all the answer you're getting. So, relax and enjoy the ride." He knew she wouldn't. Her brain was already in overdrive, he'd have to distract her. "How was your trip?" He hoped it wasn't a sore subject, given it's intention.

"Good." She replied. "Really good. It was good to be back…home…again." He noticed she'd stumbled over the word "home," and made a note to ask her about it later.

"See any old friends?" He really wasn't that great at "small talk."

"Some friends of the family." She affirmed, meaning Warrener and Maitea mostly. "It was good to see them again." The timbre of her voice had changed subtly, and Eric noticed it immediately.

"People you're close to?"

"Yes." She was whispering now. He needed to change the subject again. His plan was not to upset her.

"Gloria's due next month." He decided that maybe his family was a safer subject for now.

"She must be so relieved." Calleigh smiled. His sister had been very nice to her the few times she'd met her. "Is it a boy or a girl? I don't remember."

"They decided not to find out."

"Really?" She hadn't meant to sound so surprised. "It's just – I mean, I didn't know people still did that, is all."

"You know Glo. Hard core it all the way."

"I don't know how she does it." Calleigh shook her head in awe. "Is she getting drugs with this one?" Meaning an epidural.

"I don't think so."

"Phew." The woman amazed Calleigh. "Better her than me, I guess."

Eric laughed outright at this. "No "natural birth" for you, Cal?"

"No birth at all!" She protested. "And it's still natural with the drugs. As long as you aren't giving birth to an elephant, it's natural. Drugs or not." She quickly added, so as to not offend him, "I admire her, though. She's tough. I couldn't do it."

Eric let her "no birth at all" comment slide for the time being. "Yeah. She's a tough one." They lapsed into companionable silence, chatting only occasionally about mundane things, the price of gas, Wolfe's antics, and the like. Calleigh had barely noticed her surroundings when Eric pulled the car up past the sign. Everglades National Park. She gasped.

"I've never been here." She said softly, smiling at Eric.

"Yeah?"

"Not for recreation, anyway." She corrected. "I've always wanted to come."

He relaxed considerably at her last statement. He hadn't been certain of what her reaction would be. Calleigh was tough, but he didn't know if she liked traipsing through trees and mud. He'd gambled and won today. Blackjack!

Eric watched Calleigh as he drove through the park, knowing exactly where he was going. She stared out the window, taking the scenery in with wide eyes. If the smile on her face was any indication, he'd done well. Very well.

They'd driven for the better part of twenty minutes when he pulled the car up to a stop. "This is it." He announced, taking the key out of the ignition. She looked at him expectantly, waiting for an explanation. He offered none, rather climbed out of the car and opened the door to the back seat. She hadn't noticed the cooler in the back. He dragged it out and sat it on the ground.

"Here." He handed her a bag. "You're going to want these."

She peeked inside. Her jeans, old running shoes, hair ties.

"Did I get the right ones?" He asked sheepishly, remembering his amazement that one woman could have so many clothes. He'd felt almost criminal walking into her bedroom, even though she'd given him permission. He paused reverently at the doorway, surveying the contents before entering. Orderly. Fashionable. Perfectly Calleigh. It even smelled like her. Her closet was organized by color and item. He'd laughed out loud when he'd noticed. The truth was, although he never planned on admitting it to her, that he'd spent far longer than necessary picking up her things. Part of him lingered at her home just be feel close to her, and the more devious part, lingered so he could observe her house without her in it. He fingered her garments, smiling at memories of her in them, memorized her CD collection, her taste in books and movies. He'd read tags to learn her exact sizes (which served only to confuse him more. Women's clothing had FAR too many different sizing schema as far as he was concerned. He was going to have to talk to Cristina again about that.), discovered her shoe size, her preference in lotion, perfume. He'd spent an evening just learning about Calleigh. All the little things he'd never noticed before, the personal things about her. She liked skim milk. And Italian shoes. And Biolage hair products. And French perfume. He smiled as her scent wafted past his nose. He'd worried that it was creepy rather than endearing, him snooping like that around her home. But, he reasoned, if only to justify it to himself, it really just meant he knew her a little better now. Was more able to…appreciate how she operated, as if knowing what brand of tuna she bought really gave him insight into her brain. He sighed. She was going to kill him if she found out.

"Earth to Eric. Come in, Eric." She poked him in the ribs, bringing him back to reality.

"Where can I change?" She looked around, not seeing even an outhouse.

_Crap. Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap._ He scratched his head nervously, glancing around them. There really was only one option. "The windows are tinted" He nodded toward the car. "I'll turn around. I'm sorry. I should have stopped at a gas station or something." He prayed she wasn't too angry.

"You," she pointed at him. "Walk that way. And turn around."

She didn't seem angry at all. Eric breathed a sigh of relief, lugging the cooler up and walking toward the picnic table. She hopped in the back seat, figuring the windshield was less tinted than the side windows, and hurriedly pulled on her clothes. She glanced out the window. True to his word, his back was still to her. He was busy setting up what had to be lunch. She laced up her shoes, and smoothed her hair into a ponytail. He'd thought of everything. She peered over the back seat into the trunk. There was a backpack thrown back there, full of something. She glanced back toward the table again. Eric was still turned around. Her hand was halfway to the zipper when she paused. _Why spoil it?_ She wandered, and pulled her hand back.

She climbed out and shut the door softly, watching him as he busied himself. She leaned against the car and watched for a moment. He felt her eyes on him, though, and spun slowly. Their eyes met, and he grinned. She blushed.

"Enjoying the view?" He ribbed.

"The cypress trees are beautiful." She covered. She hadn't been watching the trees, and he knew it, but he let her get away with it. For now.

"Hungry?" He pointed to an impressive spread.

"Famished."

"Let's eat."

She walked over and took a seat across from him at the picnic table. He had everything. Fried chicken, baked beans, macaroni and cheese. She grinned at him. "Comfort food."

"Uh, huh." He replied, mouth full of chicken. "I thought you might need some."

God, he could be so damn thoughtful.

She dished out some mac and cheese. "Is this homemade?" It did not resemble the consistency of Kraft.

"Yeah." He shrugged, like it was nothing.

"You did this?" She pointed to the open containers. "You made all this."

"No." He pointed at the chicken. "I make terrible fried chicken. My mom did that."

She sat silently in amazement, staring at him. "You did all this…for me?" She added the last part quietly, whispering and truly touched at his thoughtfulness.

He just shrugged again. "Yeah."

She started at him a bit longer, then picked up her fork to try to food. His macaroni was delicious. Amazing, really. They ate in silence until Calleigh could stand it no longer.

"Why?" She challenged him to explain himself, his actions.

He knew immediately what she'd meant. "I thought' you'd like it."

"I do." She assured him. "You're really good to me."

His response was that nonchalant shrug again. "I try." He didn't meet her eyes. She'd see the joy in them, and he was trying too hard to play it cool.

Calleigh was thrown off balance by his responses to her. He acted like all this trouble, the hours he'd spent cooking, convincing his mother to cook for him, was nothing. She looked down at her plate and tried to identify the feelings swirling inside of her. She wasn't used to men pampering her like this. Not when they didn't seem to expect anything…paid in return. Not that her boyfriends in the past had bartered for sex, but there was always some unspoken agreement. I'll give you a five minute backrub, and then we'll have sex. I'll listen to you talk about your day for five minutes and pretend to be interested, and then we'll have sex. I'll go shopping with you, complain the entire time, make you leave early, and then we'll have sex. Eric was different. They weren't anything resembling a couple, and he'd spent multiple HOURS planning and executing this elaborate excursion for her, with nothing planned or expected in return. She relished the knowledge that he wasn't expecting her to return favors. He didn't place conditions on his friendship with her. Her head shot up, eyes wide with revelation. She knew this feeling. She'd experienced something akin to it recently. Love. Unconditional, unreserved, and unqualified. He loved her.

She finished her lunch and looked up, finding him watching her. "That's a little Bridget Jones, isn't it?" She jested, her tone belying the anxious feeling in her stomach.

"I don't have desert." He blurted out. "I wasn't sure how much you'd eat." She hadn't eaten much the last time he'd seen her, but she didn't appear too much thinner now. He hoped she'd been fed well in Louisianna.

"No problem." She grinned, remembering Abuela's words. _"Find someone to share it with, then." _"I've got it covered." She walked back to the car, and extricated a container of freshly made empanadas.

"Here." She offered. "They're amazing."

He took one, and bit into it, eyes glazing over in agreement. "Wow."

"Yeah." She bit into hers. "I know."

"Where did you get these?" He was so curious. He hadn't expected food this…ethnic. Not that Calleigh wasn't allowed to have ethnic food, but let's face it, he reasoned. Calleigh is as blonde as they come.

"My…" She paused, deciding how truthful to be with him. "My Abuela." She decided on the whole truth. No omissions. He frowned at her, questioning.

"Abuela as in "you just decided to talk to me in Spanish because I'm Cuban and I speak it Abuela," or as in…" He trailed off.

"No." She glanced back to the car. She'd really like to escape right about now. Explaining the dynamics of her screwed up family wasn't really high on her list of things to do right now…or ever. "No. My Abuela as in she's from Mexico."

"You're not…" He was getting into the habit of not finishing sentences.

"No." She shook her head. "No actual relation. We just sort of – adopted each other. And her husband."

"Abuelo." He nodded.

"No, Opa." She corrected him. "He's German. It's a long story."

"So they…"

"Are the closest thing to that real, Norman Rockwell, Saturday Evening Post family that I ever had." She finished. "We weren't exactly _Leave it to Beaver_ in my house." She mumbled the last part, almost embarrassed.

"And they filled in the gaps?" He supplied softly, starting to understand.

"Yeah."

"Good." He wanted to pry, but figured he should let her do this on her own time. He'd just gotten more out of her in two minutes than he had in two years. _Be thankful for small miracles, Delko_. "I'm glad you had them." She looked at his eyes, and realized he really meant it.

"Me, too."

"That's how you're fluent in Spanish, then?" He'd always wondered. You just don't obtain that level of fluency from high school Spanish. Or college, for that matter. A piece of the Calleigh puzzle just fell into place.

Calleigh only nodded. "She taught me. Started young, practically the day we met."

"Wow. I never knew."

She merely shrugged, and offered him more deserts.

"No, thanks." He patted his stomach. "I'm stuffed already. You done?"

She nodded, and together they cleared up the mess, packing it back into the car.

"Ever done much hiking?" He nudged her with his shoulder as they leaned into the trunk to replace the cooler.

"A bit, when I was younger."

"Wanna?" He nudged her again.

"Yeah." That explains the backpack, she thought as he slung it over his shoulders.

He grabbed a baseball cap, and settled in on her head, lopsided. "You'll need this." He grinned, hand lingering on her head. "Don't want a sunburn."

"Thanks." She reached up to adjust the had, pulling her hair through the notch in the back.

"Ready?"

"Let's do it!"

A/N: Sorry this chapter is so long. I don't want to break it into pieces, and I have a tendency to get verbose. More….probably Monday night. Do your thing!


	11. Persistence of Memory

Eric walked a little ways ahead of Calleigh, glancing back every so often to ensure he wasn't going too fast

Author's Note: I had to increase the rating on this. Nothing has really changed, but I inspected the rules more closely, and did not want to be in violation. You could probably perceive a "minor adult theme" included in this chapter. Enjoy. Love my reviewers bunches!

Eric walked a little ways ahead of Calleigh, glancing back every so often to ensure he wasn't going too fast. He kept having to adjust his stride, forgetting that her much shorter legs would have trouble keeping up with his longer stride. A few times he turned to find her motionless, watching something he couldn't see. She sensed his eyes upon her met them eagerly.

"Look." She pointed.

"What am I looking at?"

"The bromeliad." She continued pointing.

"The what now?"

"You see that plant with the pinkish flowery thing?"

"Yeah."

"That's a bromeliad. Family Bromeliaceae." She was smiling widely, and Eric loved it.

"Yeah?" He asked, impressed.

"Uh huh." She nodded. "Come on, let's keep going." She was bursting with excitement. She'd forgotten how relaxing hiking could be. All the flora and fauna to identify. The ecosystem wasn't exactly like the bayou, but it was close.

"You see that?" She pointed to something else a few minutes later.

"Maybe, what are you pointing at?"

"The bird, wading in the water about fifty yards out." She was spellbound. "With the long bill and brown neck. Black body."

"I see it." He wasn't so sure what was great about a bird. "What is it?"

"Glossy ibis."

"How do you know all this?"

"Opa."

"Oh." He wanted to ask more, dig and find out the rest of the story, but he figured he'd have to wait.

They'd been walking about a half hour longer when Calleigh screeched to a halt, throwing her arm out in front of Eric's abdomen to stop his forward motion as well.

"Eric." She whispered breathily. He tried not to think of other instances where she might whisper his name like that.

"Look at that."

He scanned the area in the direction she was looking, eyes falling on another bird, more predatory looking. "The hawk?"

"Not a hawk." She shook her head, crouching down and grabbing his hand, pulling him with her. "It's a snail kite. They're very rare."

Eric was having a hard time concentrating on the bird, as Calleigh's hand was still clasped around his.

"I've never seen one in person before." She whispered. "I wish I had my camera."

Eric rummaged in the side pocket of his knapsack, withdrawing something. He lifted their joined hands, and placed the object in hers. She looked down, surprised to find his camera there.

"Go ahead." He nodded. "Take all the pictures you want."

She smiled sweetly at him and studied the contraption for a moment, turning it on, then focusing. She took several shots, then tried to creep around for a different angle. The kite, sensing her movement, alighted and flew away. She continued snapping until it was out of sight.

"I don't believe it!" Her cheeks were flush with excitement. "Can I get a copy of that? I want to mail it to him."

"Of course." She handed him the camera back, and he paused thoughtfully for a moment. "Come here."

"What?"

"Come over here." He motioned for her to join him.

When she was standing next to him, he stepped behind her, camera in one hand and stretched his arm out in front. He could feel her back against his chest as he stooped down a little, so he could get them both in the shot. "Can't leave without a photo of us." He spoke softly into her ear as he tried to gauge the shot. Calleigh shivered and leaned her head to the side a bit, making room for his. He boldly pressed his cheek against hers and snapped the photo, stepping back to give her space before her elbow could find his ribs in retaliation for any unwanted physical contact.

"How'd it turn out?" She rose up on tiptoes, trying to see what he was looking at.

"What? Oh." He turned it toward her so she could review the shot.

"Nice." She approved, walking up the trail ahead of him.

It was nice. He studied the picture more. Even on the tiny display on the back of his camera, he could see her eyes shining with happiness. Her smile was genuine, big and enthusiastic. He traced the contour of her cheek where it met with his, their faces pressed against each other. That was real. Right there. Her smile, her happiness. It was real, and he'd been the one to put it there. He grinned, self satisfied, and followed her, enjoying the view from that angle as well.

"How come you know so much about plants and stuff?" He asked her when he'd caught up.

"My Opa." She repeated.

"And…" He prompted. To hell with waiting. He wanted to know more.

"We used to go on these hikes all the time." She began. "He'd point out all the flowers and trees and stuff and identify them. He used to quiz me, to make sure I'd been paying attention."

"You have this kind of stuff in northern Louisiana?" He'd actually looked up Darnell, to find out where in the state it was?

"No, no." She shook her head thoughtfully, pausing before continuing. She stopped walking and turned away from him. Eric shook his head, closing his eyes in irritation with himself. He shouldn't have pushed her.

"One summer," she started, surprising him. "When I was thirteen or so, we took a trip. Just him and me."

Eric studied her in profile, her eyes misted over in memory. "My parents were fighting a lot that summer." She paused and laughed softly. "Well, fighting more than usual anyway." She shook her head and faced him. "He got permission from them and we drove down to Bayou Lafourche and went camping. We hiked and camped, just the two of us for a couple days. He must have shown me then." She smiled at the memory.

"Tell me." He urged, hoping she wasn't finished sharing.

"What about?"

"Everything."

She just signed and looked away again. He thought he detected a glimmer of a tear in the corner of her eye, so he grabbed her hand and led her to a fallen tree, sitting them both upon it. She was close, her shoulder – her whole arm – touching his. She drew in a shaky breath and opened her mouth to continue.

"I got three vacations that summer." She spoke softly.

"Oh, yeah?" He didn't quite understand the significance yet.

"Yeah." She dropped her eyes to her lap. "Looking back, they were just fighting and being cruel to each other, but then…then I thought they wanted to spend time with me."

Eric's heart wrenched, not understanding how parents could use their children as pawns. He knew the divorce had been bitter and contested, but he didn't realize until now how hard it had been on Calleigh.

"I think that summer was the beginning of the end for them." She went on. "When Opa and I got back, my dad had me throw some stuff in my old suitcase and we went on a trip, too."

"Where to?"

"San Antonio." She smiled, eyes brightening momentarily. "We saw the Alamo, went to museums, the zoo, El Mercado. We stayed at a nice hotel, ate at the best restaurants. You know, he didn't have a single drink the whole time we were there?"

"Really?" Eric murmured, surprised.

"Yeah. It was so nice, just the two of us."

"It must have been."

"My mom was livid when we got back." She hmphed. "I guess she'd tried to have him arrested for kidnapping or something, but the sheriff wouldn't do it. The next thing I knew we were on a plane to Atlanta for a week. My third vacation that summer."

Eric was shocked. He'd had no idea her childhood had been so…tumultuous. He thought he understood a little better now why she was so hesitant to trust.

"We shopped the entire week." She looked at him, smiling a little, bemused. "She bought me a whole new wardrobe. I was very well dressed that year. I think I started my shoe collection that summer."

Eric had to laugh at that statement. He'd been in her closet, and he was WELL aware of her affinity for footwear.

His shock increased as she continued. "The whole time, that whole summer, I kept thinking, "this is what it's supposed to be like."" Her breath hitched in her throat, and Eric could stand it no longer. He lifted his arm up and draped it around her shoulders, drawing her close to him. She didn't fight him, rather relaxed and let her head fall against his chest. "I thought they were trying to be nice, you know? Like parents for once. But really they were just trying to see which one could buy me."

"I'm sorry." He breathed into her hair, inhaling her scent. He was at a loss as to what else he could offer her.

"Doesn't matter." She muttered softly, eyes closed in appreciation. "It was a long time ago." She pushed her self away from him, but he kept his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry to be such a downer." She swiped at her eyes. He hadn't realized she'd been crying.

Reaching out a hand, he gave her knee a quick squeeze. "Hey." She didn't meet his eyes. "You're allowed."

She smiled and took a deep breath before standing up leaving his arm hanging loosely against his side. She'd never really told him much about her childhood. He'd really just assumed that because her father had lots of money that she hadn't had too many problems. He was suddenly even more grateful to his own parents for all their love – even if it was smothering at times.

"Tell me about him?" He asked quietly as they walked down the trail side by side.

"My dad?"

"Yeah. If you want."

"He was…he was my dad, you know?" He looked at her, confused, so she continued. "We used to do stuff. We'd go shooting or go out to eat. Just little things. He'd let me stay up late and we'd watch movies when my mom was – well, when she was drunk. We used to go out every fall and find the biggest pumpkin patch. He'd let me pick out a pumpkin, then we'd sit by this fire place in the barn there, at the farm, and we'd drink spiced apple cider and eat gingersnaps." She'd almost forgotten the good times herself. "One time, we drove to New Orleans and he showed me Tulane. I was probably fifteen or so, way too young for a campus tour, but he got me one anyway. Told the admissions guys that I was "brilliant, and probably finishing high school several years early." We got a personal tour, and it was…wonderful."

"Sounds like fun."

"It was, you know."

"Is that why you went there? To Tulane?"

"Probably." She'd never really thought about it. "I guess I set my heart on it that day at the tour. He was so proud, so excited to show it to me. I felt like he was sharing this piece of himself with me and I had to see it through."

Eric knew exactly what she meant. His father had loaded his share of expectations upon his shoulders as well, but he hadn't handled the strain the way Calleigh did. She'd been eager to please him, get his attention. Eric had only rebelled. Now, as he watched her, he wondered how things could have been different for both of them.

"Did he want you to be a lawyer?" Family expectation was something Eric understood all too well.

"I don't think so." She shook her head thoughtfully. "He never said anything about it if he did."

"That's good." He meant it.

"Yeah."

"Thank you." He hadn't planned on saying it out loud.

"For what?"

"Telling me." He reached for her hand, squeezing it softly. She didn't respond, not out loud anyway. She merely met his gaze and smiled a little, nodding almost imperceptibly.

"Thanks for listening." She whispered. It had been good to reminisce. Think about the good times with her father.

"Always." He noticed she didn't pull her hand away as they walked down the trail together.

A/N: Shippery enough for ya? Probably not. Patience. Patience. R/R!


	12. Drive

Author's note again: I don't like this chapter, so I'm rewriting it. I hope this is better than the first go-round.

Author's Note: I have a wicked case of insomnia, and so I'm typing away. Typin' don't pay the bills, but it looks like I'm doing it anyway. Thanks, TexasJen and everybody else for your wonderfully kind reviews. As a fellow Texan (though currently displaced), I had to find a way to include my glorious state in my story. I heart San Antonio (and the state as a whole). If any readers haven't (gasp) been there, you definitely should go. I will now step down gracefully off my soapbox. (Seriously, the governor should pay me to do travel ads. I'm a starving grad student, I should look into that!). An interesting development in my life has been the discovery of Watch-On-Demand Netflix! I can get season's six and what's been aired of seven in the comfort and convenience of my own home (which is great for a stressed out grad student who hasn't even turned on her TV in months except to get some weather)! So, I'm working on my characterizations. I think I had Eric a little off, but hopefully he'll improve (you know, the one I'm writing, not the one in the show. He's too too perfect. Sighs.). I know this story is taking forever, and I'm grateful to you all for sticking with me. Trust me, I do have plans, and twists are forthcoming! Angsty twists. XOXO Also, enjoy the early update. Sorry for the mistakes. They are all mine. The characters, however, are not mine. Sigh.

"Stay for dinner?" Calleigh asked cheerily and slightly hopefully as Eric helped her bring her luggage into the house after their nature excursion. "I've got lots of food." She laughed, lugging the overfilled shopping bag Abuela sent her stuffed with yummy goodies.

Eric regarded her with a grin. "Sure."

Calleigh rewarded him with a bright smile, eyes gleaming happily. "Make yourself at home." She called, disappearing into the kitchen.

Eric shuffled a bit uncomfortably about her living room, eyes darting around the home. He wasn't quite sure why he was so nervous. He'd been here before, eaten dinner with Calleigh more times than he could count, even spent a lone evening in her home by himself. This felt different, though. Like he was on the edge of a precipice and the decisions he made tonight would chart the course of the rest of his life. The nervous excitement rumbled in his stomach, and he clenched against the impulse to act hastily. Eric sat on the edge of the couch, grabbing a magazine to occupy his hands against the anxious tension that was creeping through his limbs.

"I hope you're hungry." Calleigh called as she whisked out of the kitchen carrying plates and silverware for the table.

"Uhh, yeah." He nodded. "Sure am."

Calleigh disappeared again and reentered the dining room, arms laden with serving bowls. "What do you want to drink?"

"What've ya got?"

She wrinkled her nose for a moment, thinking. "I have water, sweet tea, beer. I don't recommend the milk. It's been there for a while." She forgot momentarily that she'd been gone for a week.

"Tea's fine."

"Have a seat." She called, rushing to get their beverages. "I'll be right back. Dig in." She knew he wouldn't, but she offered anyway.

"Looks good." Eric reached for a serving spoon, dishing a soup of sorts into a bowl. "Albondigas?"

"Yup." She nodded. "Abuela makes it better than anyone."

Dinner passed in relative silence, Calleigh unsure of what to say and Eric uncertain of what to ask. She rose to clear the table after they finished, and the awkward quiet from before descended once again. Eric stood and grabbed his dishes, following Calleigh to the sink. He nudged her out of the way with his hip gently, placing his hand on the dishrag she wielded.

"Scoot."

"What?"

"I'll wash." He nudged her again, with his shoulder this time. "Scoot. You dry. You know where it goes better."

Her only reply was to tip her head up and look at him skeptically, and he chuckled internally. "I promise to rewash them to your exact specifications."

"You're my guest." She shook her head and retrieved the forgotten dishrag from his hand. "You go sit. This'll only take a minute."

So the death of her father hadn't taken her spunk away, or her stubborn streak. "Nope." She frowned at him. "I'll wash. You dry." Eric repeated.

Calleigh silently admitted defeat and took two steps to her right, grabbing a clean towel in the process. "You don't have to do this, you know." She stated it, rather than asked it. She knew in advance what his response would be.

"Yeah. I know."

Calleigh smirked at him. She knew him well.

"Movie?" She offered as a truce.

"Maybe."

"You pick?"

"Deal." She smiled sweetly at him, reaching up high to place her good glasses on the top shelf. In her stocking feet she couldn't quite reach. Eric smiled at the sight. So domestic. The two of them cleaning up after a shared dinner. He dried his hands on his jeans, then placed one on her shoulder and the other around the glass easily placing it on it's shelf in line with the others like it. Calleigh shivered as his body brushed against hers, and fought the urge to lean back into him. She was left blinking, channeling the feeling of loss into eyelid movement as she felt him pull away from her and leave the kitchen.

"You do you feel about Vin Diesel tonight?" He called from her bookcase.

"Which one?" She couldn't remember buying a Vin Diesel movie.

"_The Fast and the Furious." _

"I have that?" She stood behind him, eyes narrow in disbelief.

"I think it's mine." He confessed. "I brought it over a while ago, and we didn't watch it." He knew that Alexx had suggested comedy, but he was looking for something else right now. Something less…flippant. And non-girly.

"Popcorn?"

"You bet."

Eric set up her stereo system and surveyed his seating options. He usually opted for the overstuffed chair, leaving Calleigh to lounge comfortably on her sofa. Tonight, however, he settled himself on the couch. Calleigh joined him a few minutes later, handing him a bowl of popcorn, napkin, and a Pepsi. Eric relaxed as they munched their snacks, reclining into the sofa cushions. He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she drew her legs up under her, sitting Indian-style and half facing him. She was more relaxed than he'd seen her in a while. Whatever happened in Louisiana must have been good for her. He wondered if she'd ever let him know about the trip itself.

Two hours later, Calleigh was snuggled under a blanket on her sofa, drifting in between sleep and consciousness. The movie was mediocre in her opinion, but she was enjoying the company. Eric had talked through most of the movie, pausing it at times, to describe some of the finer parts of street racing cars. She nodded and smiled at his enthusiasm, not bothering to remind him that she has a degree in physics, and is no stranger to the concepts of propulsion and momentum. Honestly, she was just glad to have the company. His voice was soothing to her, easing away any remaining tension from her body.

The movie drew to a close, and Eric glanced over at the woman curled up against the opposite arm of the sofa. He could see her fighting sleep, eyes alternately opening and closing as she nodded off. He stood slowly, so as to not disturb her, but she sensed his movement and rose as well.

"Taking off?" She stretched and yawned.

"You're about to turn into a pumpkin." He smoothed out her hair, mussed from her battle with sleep. Calleigh, over-relaxed and slightly less aware than usual in her sleepy state, allowed her eyes to close briefly, reveling in the contact. "I think I better let you get some sleep." He leaned down and pressed his lips gently to her forehead, noting her soft sigh and fluttering eyelashes.

"Thank you." Calleigh's eyes sought out his. "For everything. Today was really…fun." She found herself unable to adequately express how touched she was by his thoughtfulness. Her mother always told her that actions spoke louder than words, though, and Calleigh had always found them to at least be easier to deal with. So she impulsively threw her arms around his neck, hugging him fiercely for a moment, then moving to let go.

Eric recovered from the initial shock of her hugging him a millisecond before he registered her arms loosening and her body moving away from his. He wrapped one arm around her lower back, the other raising to cup the side of her head gently, fingers combing softly across her silken hair. "Any time." He whispered, dropping another kiss onto the top of her head.

Calleigh bit back another gasp, feeling the warmth and solidity of his body as he held her to him. She tilted her face up toward his, intending to chastise him then find a way to extricate herself, but she met his eyes and her protests dissolved on her tongue.

"Calleigh." She heard him whisper, and her eyes widened as she gauged the distance between their faces to be decreasing.

"Eric." Her voice was breathy.

He noted her vocal quality, taking it as an invitation and brushing his lips gently against her cheek, millimeters from her lips.

"Eric." Her voice was louder this time, and he felt two small hands on his shoulders pushing him away. "Don't." She shook her head. "Please." She whispered the last plea, not trusting herself to speak in tones.

Eric tensed immediately at her bequest, dropping his hands and taking three steps back. "Wha…?" He rubbed the back of his head in confusion. Had he read the signs wrong? What was he missing?

"I can't…now. Just…don't." She shook her head staring a point on the rug and refusing to meet his gaze.

Eric felt a flame of anger boil inside him, then tamped it down only to have it replaced by embarrassment. His cheeks flamed, and he wondered idly if it were possible to will himself to dissolve into a pile of Delko dust on her living room floor. "Fine. I'm sorry." He spat a little too angrily. Grabbing his keys and jacket off the hall table, he strode out the door without another word, leaving Calleigh standing in her living room.

She heard him shut the front door, and noted the metallic click and the slide of the key as he withdrew if from the knob. Calleigh sank back to the sofa, a lone tear trickling down her cheek as the irony of his actions struck her fully. He left. He locked the door and he left. He locked her in. Inside her home. Inside her head. Inside her own misery and lonliness. He left. She'd finally driven him away, succeeded in closing him out of her emotions, her secrets…her heart. She sobbed quietly, unaware of the man on the other side of the walls of her house, sitting forlornly in his car, and trying valiantly not to sob himself.


	13. Intoxicating

Calleigh dragged herself to work the next morning, still tense from the night before. She avoided Eric all day, and he her. She hated this wedge between them, and she hated even more that she was the one who placed it there. Eric, for his part, could barely bring himself to show his face near her lab. Hoping to avoid any confrontation, he darted into the locker room, and crashed into a small object.

"Oomph." The object was Calleigh. She teetered for a moment, unsteady in her heels, and he reached out without thinking, grabbing her upper arms gently to steady her. Calleigh's eyes flitted up to his face, then down to his hands as they secured her vertically. Eric quickly withdrew his hands, as if the contact with her had singed them.

"Eric, I-" She started.

"Forget it." He spun and dashed out of the locker room, blushing deep red. He couldn't bear to face her right now. He was so embarrassed. He'd finally gathered the courage to act on his feelings for her, and she'd rejected him. He knew he'd ruined the friendship they used to have. She was his closest friend. His confidante. And he'd driven her away.

"Hey, Baby."

He hadn't even noticed Alexx in the break room.

"Hey." He didn't look up from the coffee he was making.

"So…" She began. "How'd it go?"

"Huh?"

"With Calleigh." She carefully looked him up and down. Something was off. He looked tense. Upset.

"Alexx, I really don't want to talk about it." He sighed, rinsing the spoon and heading back to trace.

Alexx stood still, staring at the empty space he'd left when he'd walked away. She frowned and marched down the hallway to find Calleigh. One way or the other, she was going to get to the bottom of this.

"Calleigh Duquesne." She began before noting Calleigh's red eyes. "Sweetie, are you okay?" She wasn't sure what to think. Was she upset about her father, or whatever was going on with her and Eric.

"Of course." Her voice was cheerful, but her eyes couldn't hide the pain. "I'm fine." Back to her old games.

"You wanna talk about it?" Alexx walked around the lab and took a seat on the stool next to the microscope.

"About what?" She continued working. "I'm fine."

"Calleigh, baby. Talk to me." She coaxed.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not." She placed a hand on Calleigh's shoulder. "You had a fight with Eric."

Calleigh spun around to face her. "How did you…?"

Alexx just tilted her head and gave her the "look." The one that said, "Don't question me, little girl."

"We didn't fight."

"Something happened."

"Nothing happened."

"Calleigh." Alexx warned.

"I'm not ready to talk about it."

"Not ready or not willing?" She'd known Calleigh for years, and she cared about her. Whatever had happened last night with Eric must have been bad.

"Alexx, I'm fine. Really. I promise."

"Sure you are." Alexx patted her skeptically. "You know where to find me when you're ready."

Calleigh just sighed and squeezed her eyes shut, willing the tears to disappear. She hated this rift between the two of them. She knew what she had to do to fix it, but she figured she'd never get the nerve to actually do it.

Weeks passed, and Calleigh and Eric were still avoiding each other. They worked together, but something was missing. The ease. The comfort. The friendship. She missed him. She finally had a day off, and she was curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea and a good book, although she wasn't actually reading. She alternated between sleeping and wallowing in misery and self-pity. Her wounds were all self-inflicted this time, and she hated admitting that. She hated this feeling in her stomach, the emptiness and loss. The weakness.

The ringing of her doorbell roused her from a restless nap. She peered through the peephole, and unlocked the door.

"Are you…" The delivery man scanned the list. "Calleigh Doo-kess-nee?"

"Duquesne." She corrected absent-mindedly.

The delivery man stared at her blankly.

"That's me." She affirmed.

"You have a delivery." He handed her the plastic electronic pen-thingy. "Sign here, please."

She signed her name with a flourish, and handed him the pen.

"I'll be right back." He disappeared and came back a few minutes later carrying a wheeling a few large boxes on a hand truck. "Here you go." He deposited the boxes on her porch and left.

Calleigh checked the return address on the labels, surprised to see her hometown indicated. She dragged the boxes inside, and went in search of her letter opener. A few hours later, she was sitting cross legged on the living room floor, surrounded by piles of her father's effects. Letters, cards, awards, correspondence. Opa and Abuela had gone through his house and sent her boxes of memorabilia. She flipped through photo albums tearily, reread cards she'd sent him, glanced at childhood artwork she made. It was getting late, and the sun was setting outside. Walking across the room, she flicked on a lamp and noticed a manila file stuck against the inside of one of the boxes. Digging it out, she opened it, eyes widening at the contents.

It was still pretty early, but Eric was half asleep when the phone rang. He had the next day off, and he planned on getting some rest. Work was exhausting, and he couldn't wait to have eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Maybe even nine or ten. He decided to ignore the phone, grabbing the other pillow and clamping it over his ears. He'd only been asleep for a few hours when the phone rang again. Groaning, he grabbed his cell and flipped it open. He frowned when he saw the name on the display.

"It's my day off." He grumbled. "This better be good."

"Pardon me." The voice on the other side of the line stopped. "Is there an "Eric" available?" A British man asked.

Instantly awake, Eric sat up straight in bed. Why was a man calling him from Calleigh's phone? Where was Calleigh?

"Who is this?" His heart was beating so fast he could practically hear it. "Why do you have Calleigh's phone?"

"Is this "Calleigh" a blonde-"

"Five foot three, long blonde hair, big green eyes, thick southern accent?" He was bordering on frantic now. "Who are you? Is she okay?"

"She's…unconscious."

"What! What happened?"

"Listen, I don't know what happened, but I'm the bartender here and it's closing time, and she's dead asleep. I can't call a cab for her, because she won't be able to get into her house. This is the last number she called, so I'm calling you. Are you going to come get her, or should I just-"

"What bar?" Eric was pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt as they spoke. The former fear he'd felt melted and was quickly replaced by a new, icier worry. Why was Calleigh drunk alone at a bar?

"I'm on my way." He flipped his phone off, and raced to his car playing fast and loose with the speed limits the entire drive.

He rushed into the dive that the British man had indicated. "Someone called me." He tried to explain breathlessly. The man merely pointed to a booth in the corner, where a small blonde mass was hunched in the corner asleep. The table was littered with shot glasses and beer. "What happened?" He turned accusatorily to the bartender.

"Hey, I just serve the drinks."

"Was she with anyone?" The barkeep shook his head.

"Did anyone bother her? Meet her here?"

The man shook his head again. "A few guys tried to talk to her, but I'm pretty sure she told them to just bugger off."

"How much did she drink?" He challenged him, walking closer. "Why did you keep serving her?"

"Hey, there!" He defended. "I'm not her mother. She orders the drinks, I just serve them."

Eric muttered an apology, glancing back at the heartbreaking sight of Calleigh, passed out in the booth.

"What do I owe you?" He slipped his wallet out and counted out some bills, adding a hefty tip. "Thank you for calling me." He slipped Calleigh's purse over one arm before easing one under her knees and sliding her toward him. He easily lifted her into his arms and turned, nodding toward the door. "Give me a hand?" The barkeep opened the door for them and followed Eric out to the car. He took the keys from Eric's hand and unlocked the passenger door. Eric carefully placed her upright, and buckled her in, pausing to brush her hair out of her face. He wondered what had brought his on. Her father had been an alcoholic, and no one was more careful around intoxicating beverages than Calleigh. He straightened and extended a hand to the bartender.

"Thank you. For calling me."

"You take good care of her." The man shook his hand and nodded. "She's a sweetheart."

Eric just half smiled at his comments. She was a sweetheart. No doubt about that. He sat in the car for a moment, keys in his hand. Looking at his phone scrolled down to call history. The phone call that evening. The one he'd ignored. It had been Calleigh. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the steering wheel. She had needed him, reached out to him. And he had ignored her. The guilt weighed heavily on him. What brought her to this state? He thought about where they were for a moment. She lived a good twenty miles from here. She was in his neighborhood, not hers. She went to see him? He ignored her phone call, and that had driven her…here? He straightened and brushed his index finger against her cheek. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Turning the key in the ignition, he put the car in gear and backed out of the space.

He drove carefully back to his home, breaking gently so she wouldn't be jostled too much. He sat for a moment, wondering how he was going to get her out of the car and into his apartment. He lived on the second floor, and there was no elevator. Plus, he'd need his hands to unlock and open doors, then close and lock them back. He frowned for a moment. He could carry her fireman-style, but it seemed so undignified. She deserved a little dignity, he couldn't do that. Grabbing her purse, he unlocked the car doors and walked around the car. He carefully opened the door, unlatched her seatbelt, and eased her back into his arms. She murmured something unintelligible and nestled her head into the crook of his neck.

Calleigh was light, so carrying her wasn't the problem. Unlocking his front door was more of a trick, but he managed, kicked his shoes off, and carried her into his room. He placed her on his side of the bed, where the blankets were already turned back, and gently removed her shoes and belt, but stood back for a moment contemplating how to remove her jacket. He didn't figure she'd really want to sleep in her nice leather jacket, so he sat down beside her, carefully pulling her into a sitting position so he could ease the garment off her shoulders. She didn't even awaken one bit during the whole process, and Eric was nervous. She was too little to have ingested as many drinks as her table indicated. Her tolerance was low to begin with, add her petite size and you had a recipe for a bad day. He shifted her onto her side, just to be safe, and arranged the blankets around her, tucking her in securely. He grabbed a trashcan and emptied it, placing it beside the bed, for good measure, just in case. Turning off the light, he stood hesitantly observing her. The blankets rose and fell rhythmically with her breathing. He couldn't leave her. Not tonight. Not knowing what he knew. And what he didn't know – what about that? He made a snap decision, and walked to the other side of the bed. Grabbing some extra pillows, he sat them against the headboard and settled himself, sitting upright, on top of the comforter. He'd just watch her for a bit, he reasoned. Make sure she didn't choke or stop breathing or something. It was for HER own good. Of course. It had nothing to do with making HIM feel better or soothing his guilty conscience. Nothing at all.

A/N: What upset Calleigh so much? What happens? R/R


	14. Surrealism

A/N: You guys who review are my heroes. Seriously, reviews are like the crack to my typing addiction. You all rock. You're so sweet. Thanks a million for the encouragement. Here some more.

Eric slowly became aware of a few things as he awoke early that morning. (1) He was cold, (2) something was tickling his face, and (3) the pillow his arm rested on was harder than usual. And it smelled different. He inhaled deeply. He smelled cigarette smoke. Stale beer. And…his eyes flew open. Calleigh. Instantly awake he surveyed the situation. Sometime during the night he had fallen asleep, and apparently he had also slid down until he was lying next to Calleigh. Then, it seemed, he had also snuggled up to her and wrapped an arm around her. She would positively kill him if she was conscious. He sighed a bit, grateful for the first time that she wasn't conscious. He contemplated his options for a moment. He could stay here, reveling in the feeling of waking up with Calleigh in his arms (or ARM rather. His other arm was tingling and asleep from him sleeping on it.), or he could get up and secure the safety of his future generations from the wrath of an angry, hungover Calleigh. He wisely chose option two.

Grabbing a change of clothes from the dresser, he popped into the bathroom for a quick shower. He was pulling his tee shirt over his head as he exited the bathroom a few minutes later, and the sight made him stop dead in his tracks and just – watch. He leaned against the door jam, mesmerized. Eric decided he liked the look of Calleigh asleep in his bed. Tangled in his sheets. Hair spread over his pillows. It was a sight he could get used to, to be honest. Shaking his head he exited the bedroom to get started on the day's new tasks. His day off had taken a detour, but he didn't really mind.

He put the coffee on to percolate, and perused his refrigerator hoping to find inspiration there. Knowing from experience how sensitive her stomach was going to be, he decided on fruit and toast. Pulling out a loaf of bread and all the fruit he had in the house, he set about to make a light, healthy breakfast. Twenty minutes later, Eric had a masterpiece in strawberries, blueberries, apples, bananas, and mangos carefully arranged on a plate with a piece of whole wheat toast spread lightly with jam. Just the way she liked it. Grabbing a bottle of Tylenol, he sat it on the tray, poured a glass of orange juice, and headed back into the bedroom. Placing the tray on the bureau, he went to stand beside the bed for a moment. Truth be told, he dreaded waking her up – for several reasons. He'd missed her, and spending time with her – even though she wasn't aware of it – had, in actuality, been nice. He was certain he didn't want to awaken her and surely ruin the peace. Also, he wanted to let her sleep. Sleep off the hangover that would certainly plague her all day, the headache that was sure to accompany it, and the heartache of whatever had driven her to drink herself into a stupor in the first place. He felt purely traitorous with the knowledge that he was going to have to awaken her and remind her of her troubles. What a friend he was. _Good morning, welcome to crap_. His hand reached out of its own volition and brushed her hair out of her face, fingers trailing through the silken strands. He traced the outline of her jaw, her cheekbones and gently cupped the side of her face, eyes closing as he memorized the feeling. _How did they get to this place_, he wondered. How had he become so distant from her? When did they grow so separate that he wouldn't even want to wake her up from slumber just to avoid dealing with her? He sighed. He knew all those answers; he just didn't want to admit it. He'd screwed up. He'd ruined the relationship. The friendship. He'd been impulsive. He'd acted on feelings she didn't return, and it backfired on him. He hadn't gained a girlfriend – life, a future. Instead, he had only lost a dear friend, his dearest friend. It was all his fault.

Glancing at the clock, he realized that prolonging the inevitable was only going to make her day worse. It was bad enough that she was going to be miserable all day, but he didn't need to make her late for work as well. He sent a quick prayer up to the heavens, and gently sat down on the bed beside Calleigh, taking in one last time the picture of her looking so peaceful. She looked like she belonged here, with him – and along with the guilt, the two emotions were crushing him.

Placing a hand softly on her shoulder, he gave her the gentlest of shakes, leaning down to speak softly in her ear. "Calleigh." His hand brushed her forehead without him even realizing it. "Calleigh, I'm so sorry to do this, but you have to wake up." He continued talking; hoping the sound of his voice would gently draw her into wakefulness.

Calleigh felt herself being pulled from her peaceful slumber. She was warm and comfortable, and she didn't want to move. Something wasn't right, though. She frowned and attempted to identify what was out of place. She heard a voice. That was wrong. She lived alone. She felt someone touching her. That was DEFINITELY wrong, her eyes opened wide, as she tried to scoot away from the touch, uncertain of her surroundings.

"Easy, easy." Eric cooed at a clearly disoriented Calleigh. "It's just me. You're okay."

Calleigh's stomach lurched with the movement, and her head swam, the room spinning around her. Eric saw the movement of her eyes, and carefully placed a hand on her forehead. "Try not to move too much." He advised softly. "No rapid directional changes."

"Mmmh" Was her only reply, eyes screwed shut as the nausea and dizziness abated. Eric. Why was HE here. Where was HERE?

"Here." He grabbed another pillow, and placed his other arm behind her shoulders, sliding her up toward the headboard a little. He placed the pillow behind her and settled her back down. "Hold these." He grabbed her hand and placed two Tylenol in it. Reaching for the juice, he handed it to her. "Drink this."

Her hands shook a bit as she brought he juice to her lips and took a small sip, ignoring the pills in her hand.

Eric chuckled a bit, and tapped her closed hand. "You have to swallow those for 'em to do you any good."

Calleigh obediently placed the pills in her mouth, and brought the juice back to her lips, hand shaking somewhat violently now. Eric steadied the glass with his hand, taking it from her when she was finished. "Here." He placed a mug of coffee in her hands. He had wisely only filled it halfway, anticipating her unsteadiness. "You're going to need this."

She blinked, and looked around her for the first time, squinting against the light as it burned her eyes. "This is your house." She whispered, stating the obvious. He merely nodded, heart breaking.

She took a sip of coffee and paused before continuing. "How…? What…?" She wasn't sure where to begin, let alone how. "Eric?"

"Yeah, Cal?"

"How did I get here?" She whispered, eyes downcast, staring into the depths of her coffee as if it held the answers she needed. She hated not remembering. Not knowing. Not having control.

"Bartender called me." He wasn't sure why he was whispering, too, but it just seemed right. Maybe if it wasn't spoken aloud, the whole situation wouldn't be real. Just a mirage. A dream of sorts. He observed her carefully. She looked so small right now, almost frightened. Calleigh never looked small to him. Short, yes. Slender, yes, but never small. Never frail. Fragile. This was new to him. He didn't like it.

"Bartender." She repeated, frowning. He watched as memory resurfaced and recognition appeared on her makeup smudged face. "Why'd he call you?"

Eric felt his stomach lurch at her question. He really didn't want to answer, but he couldn't lie to her. "It was the last number you called." He was grateful to be whispering now, confidant that he could have never voiced that admission out loud.

"Oh."

"Here." He was grateful she didn't push on with that line of conversation. "Eat this. You need something in your stomach."

She accepted the plate and the fork, slowly picking at the fruit and moving it around. She chose mango, and brought it slowly to her lips, tasting it before biting a small bit off. Eric continued to sit next to her on the edge of the bed, watching her as she slowly ate.

"Don't feel like you have to finish it all." He was still whispering, although he wasn't sure why. "I understand you're probably not that hungry."

"Was that aspirin?" She asked instead.

"Tylenol." He shook his head. "I figured your stomach would be upset enough without adding asprin to the mix. Plus," he continued. "I figure you've got enough anticoagulants in your system."

"Hmm." She nodded a little, then shut her eyes tightly as the movement caught up with her.

"Hey." He reached out and took the plate, easing her back to the pillows. "You okay?" He fingers kept betraying him; stroking through her hair.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you still hate me?" She didn't raise her head to look at him.

Eric didn't think it would be possible for his heart to hurt any more than it already did, but her words cut through the soft tissue like the sharpest knife. Did she really think he could ever hate her? Dislike her, even?

"Why would you think that?" He asked, even though he was well aware of the answer. "No, Calleigh." More whispering. "I've never been mad at you."

"Couldda fooled me." She muttered, nails scratching at an invisible thread on his comforter.

Eric's eyes closed and he drew in a deep breath. He deserved that.

"Sorry 'bout this." Her soft voice cut into his self-loathing.

"About what?"

"You getting called in the middle of the night." Her voice got softer with every word. "Thinking you have to come get me."

"Calleigh," he cried softly. "Really. I wasn't mad at you. I was just…" He didn't want to say it. "Embarassed." He was, too, even now. His face blushed, ears flamed bright red. "I'm the one who's sorry. I didn't answer my phone when you called." She didn't acknowledge him.

"I'm sorry, Calleigh. Really, I am." He grabbed her hand. "I didn't ignore you, I promise. Well, I did, but I didn't. I ignored the phone, but I didn't pick it up. I didn't know it was you, I swear. I'd never do that." God how he wished he'd just answered the damn phone. Even more, he wished he'd never tried to kiss her in the first place. Maybe then they'd never be in this mess.

"You aren't mad?" She seemed so unsure of herself, unsure of him. This was so far from the confidant, self-assured Calleigh that he knew. He didn't know what to make of it.

"No." He shook his head. "Not even a little."

Silence descended upon them, and Calleigh grabbed the plate off the nightstand. She fiddled with the food, nibbling on it but not really eating.

"Wanna talk about it?" He offered softly after a few minutes.

"About what?"

"Why you were at the bar in the first place." He paused. "Why you drank so much."

"It's what we do." She scoffed a bit, and shook her head gently; aware that too much motion could set her head aflame.

"What do you mean?" He was baffled.

"Duquesnes." She smirked, but not the snarky smirk he was used to. This smirk was dark, ironic. "We drink." She murmured something softly that sounded eerily like "and we hurt people" to Eric, but he couldn't be sure.

"Calleigh, what happened?"

"Nothing."

"Calleigh, don't…" He stopped. He really didn't have a leg to stand on here. He hadn't exactly been a stellar friend the past few weeks. "Come on, Cal." He tried it again. "You can talk to me."

He was surprised when she placed the plate back on the table and swung her legs off the edge of the bed. She stood quickly, but only got two steps from the bed before she swayed. Eric was at her side in an instant; arms around her, keeping her from falling. "Easy." He murmured into her hair. "You're not gonna be that steady for a while."

If her head hadn't been spinning her stomach wasn't lurching into her throat she might have had the energy to push him away. As it was, she could only clutch his arms, leaning her head against his chest willing the feeling to pass quickly. She'd never been that drunk before in her life. She definitely never blacked out like that before. Her embarrassment was supreme. She hated that he was seeing her like this, yet oddly grateful that he was with her at the same time.

"I've gotta get going." He heard her mutter into his chest.

She tried to push against him, but he maintained one arm around her waist.

"My shoes." She looked around the room slowly.

"Right here." He helped her over to them, and held her up while she slipped them on. "Here's your belt." He grabbed it off the dresser. "And your jacket. Your purse is in the living room."

She grunted softly, almost a moan, and tried to free herself from his clutches. "I've got it." She insisted. "I'm fine."

He slowly released his grasp, watching carefully for the unsteadiness from before. She slowly walked into the living room, shrugging her coat on as she went. Eric followed close behind, satisfied that she was moving on her own steam. He grabbed a travel mug and a plastic bag full of something from the kitchen, slipped his own shoes and jacket on, and grabbed his keys.

"Ready?" He asked her.

"Where are you going?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"Driving you." He nodded toward the door. "Home. To change and shower and stuff."

"It's okay." She still refused to meet his gaze. "I'll call a cab."

He knew what she was doing. Avoiding him. Trying to avoid inconveniencing him. And trying to get her car.

"You're in no shape to drive."

"I'm fine."

"You can't even turn your head." He didn't want to argue with her. Not this morning. Not now. But he'd rather have her a little angry with him than let her drive and possibly get hurt.

She didn't argue with him at first. "I didn't say I was going to drive." She challenged him. "I said I was going to call a cab."

"To take you to your car, right?"

She decided that Eric knew her WAY too well, and decided to remain silent.

"I'll drive you home. You shower, get ready. Then I'll take you to work." Still, she refused to meet his gaze.

"If you'll let me, I'll have a buddy of mine help me get your car back to the lab." He offered this as a bit of a peace offering. "I promise I'll drive it carefully." He jested, his tone light.

Calleigh only sighed, realizing two things simultaneously. First, she wasn't going to win the argument. He was going to drive her home, and there was nothing she could do to change it. Second, he was right. She was in no shape to drive. It would be negligent. She could lose her job.

"Fine." She huffed, annoyed that he was right. Apparently tequila didn't agree with her. Or was it the vodka? Or the beer? She'd never be certain. Her stomach lurched again, and she bit back the bitter, acrid taste in her mouth. "I have to…" She motioned toward the bathroom.

"Sure. Sure."

Slipping her shoes off, she hurried – well, carefully hurried, to the bathroom. Whatever she drank last night must have just now hit her bladder. She washed her hands quickly, and leaned her against the counter, head down. When she finally gazed upon her image in the mirror she was shocked at the sight. Her eyes were bloodshot, makeup smeared, hair mussed. She was really a mess. Tears coarsed down her cheeks, unbidden, and her breath hitched in her throat. Grabbing a washcloth, she scrubbed at her face. Cleaning the mascara off, washing away the tears. She searched through the cabinets and drawers, but didn't find what she needed. Uncertain for one moment, she grabbed Eric's toothbrush, and squeezed some minty paste on it. She mentally promised to buy him another one. Smoothing her hair down, she rummaged through the drawers until she found a comb. Yanking it angrily through her hair, she tried to get herself into some semblance of a presentable condition.

"Cal?" She heard his gentle voice on the other side of the door. "You okay?"

Yeah. She was freaking fantastic. Fabulous, even. Her world was dissolving around her, and she had no idea what do about it. "I'll be right out." She sniffled, and threw the comb back in the drawer, slamming it shut.

He was pacing outside the door when she finally opened it. Stopping abruptly, he turned to face her, eyes full of concern. "You okay?" He repeated, although she clearly wasn't.

"I'm fine." She left him standing there, and went back to retrieve her shoes.

Eric shook his head at her stubbornness and followed.

Neither one said a word most of the way to her house. The silence was the worst, he decided. This wasn't the companionable silence he was used to. No comfort here. This new silence, filled with tension and anxiety, this silence was terrible. "Will you tell me what's going on?" He fought the urge to grab her hand with his.

"Nothing." She muttered.

"Calleigh." He let out a deep breath and shook his head. What else was there to say?

"I'm sorry." She was apologizing to him?

"What for?"

"Everything." She sounded far away.

"Like?" He prompted.

She just shook her head, eyes closed against a memory threatening to cause another eruption of tears.

"Will you talk to me?" He pleaded with her. He couldn't bear to see her like this. "Please? Let me help, whatever it is. I want to."

"Not now."

_Not now,_ as in not after the fight we've been having, or _not now_ as in not this instant? He wasn't sure. "What do you mean?"

"You really wanna know?" The bitter quality in her voice scared him a little.

"Yeah, I do." He wasn't lying.

"Yeah?" She sounded a little surprised at his insistence. _Why would you_, she wondered. _I just push you away. I just hurt you._

"Sorry to ruin your day off." She apologized, choosing to change the subject. They had just pulled up to her house, and she hopped carefully out of the car, eager to be away from him for a moment.

He trailed her into the living room, eyes widening at the sight before him. Piles of papers littered the floor, stacks of envelopes, cards, books, pictures.

"My dad's stuff." She gestured to the mess. "I wasn't done going through it." She carefully stepped over the piles of papers and made her way to the bedroom.

He surveyed the mess more carefully. Photos of a young Calleigh, smiling and missing teeth. He picked some up and looked more carefully. She had been an adorable little girl, not that he was surprised. More pictures showed people he didn't recognize, places he didn't know. He replaced the photos on the stack and looked through some of the envelopes. Law correspondence, letters from clients, family, boring. He moved on the next stack. Children's artwork, signed "To Daddy, Love Calleigh." He grinned. An artist, she was not. But it was cute.

The edge of a photo caught his eye, and he slipped it out of the stack. Young Calleigh, decked out in cap and gown for college graduation. Her smile was bright, eyes shining. Her father smiled down at her adoringly, proud of his only daughter on this momentous day. Eric missed that smile, those bright eyes. The lighter days of them – at ease with each other. He missed happy Calleigh.

"What are you doing?" Her sharp voice cut into his thoughts.

His eyes widened, shocked at first, and then not at all. He should have known better. He'd invaded her space, her privacy. He should have known she wouldn't react well. Especially not now.

"A picture." He turned it toward her. "Your college graduation."

Her eyes softened and she smiled a little, eyeing the photo. Her hair was dripping on the floor. She seemed to remember the towel in her hand, and moved to sop up some of the moisture. Then she surprised him. She knelt and scooped up a few albums, hesitating a bit as if uncertain of her own actions. "Here." She handed them to him. "You'll enjoy these, then."

To say he was shocked at this gesture would be then understatement of the century. Calleigh was actually giving him an invitation into her life, opening a door and asking him to walk through it. He gingerly took the albums from her, mouth open a bit in awe.

"Give me twenty minutes?" She called from the doorway.

"No problem." He glanced at his watch, grateful he hadn't let her sleep any longer. If they pushed it, she MIGHT make it on time. Or at least close to on time.

Eric settled himself on the couch and immersed himself in Calleigh's memories. Baby pictures. Kindergarten school photos. School plays. Junior prom. He strolled through her childhood. With no tour guide, he was kind of running blind, guessing at who the other people might be. He deduced her mother, because they had the same eyes, same smile. He already knew her father. The others were fuzzier. Eric knew immediately who the man and woman in this photo with Calleigh were. Her smile was different, bigger than normal. More relaxed, happier. More genuine. This man with his shock of grey hair, this was her Opa. And the woman on Calleigh's left, smiling adoringly at Calleigh: that was her Abuela. The famed couple who tried so hard to give her a "normal" loving family. He was so grateful to have faces to put with the names. It made it easier for him to send prayerful thanks to them for loving her, caring for her when she was a child.

"I love that picture." He looked up to find her standing beside him, dressed and put together as well as she was going to be on a day like this.

"How old were you?" He had been so deep in though that he hadn't noticed her beside him until she spoke.

"Ten?" She guessed. "I was Lady Bug in the school play."

That explained the facepaint, and the antennae. "Cute." He flashed her his patented grin.

"Ehh." She shrugged, unwilling to commit.

"Trust me." He smiled at her again. "You," He pointed at the picture. "Were an adorable kid."

"You ready?" He shut the albums and stood. Her response was to nod.

She had her jacket already, gun, badge. He surveyed her carefully. She looked better, but Eric knew her well enough to know it was a disguise. A defense mechanism. He'd try to chip away at that in a minute.

"Yup." Her eyes tried to flash with fake cheerfulness, and a smile almost reached her lips, but didn't quite make it.

He gestured for her to go in front of him, then opened the door for her as he slipped his shoes back on.

They rode in silence again for the first few minutes, but the tension from before was lessened considerably. Eric was trying to work up some nerve when Calleigh interrupted him.

"Thank you." She started. "For everything." She paused. "You know, dragging me home, breakfast. Letting me kick you out of your bed."

"Don't mention it." He meant it. _Here goes nothing, _he thought. "Can I ask you something?" He treaded carefully, knowing he was entering a veritable minefield.

"I guess." Calleigh was fairly certain she knew what he was going to ask.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" If he hadn't been driving, he would have shut his eyes in an attempt to delay the inevitable. This newfound ease they had with each other again was sure to be gone now.

Calleigh remained silent for a few minutes, and Eric found his imagination working overtime. He ran through all the scenarios he could think of, and none of them ended well. One, in fact, left him hospitalized.

"Not now." She said it so softly he almost didn't catch it. "I can't right now."

This did not surprise him one bit. What followed, though, did.

"Later." She looked out the window, not allowing herself to look at his face. "Tonight? After work?" She sounded so uncertain and so frighteningly hopeful and lost at the same time. "I can't deal with this right now."

Eric was dumbfounded. Flabbergasted. Astounded. "Of…of course." He stuttered. "Really?" He didn't mean to sound so shocked. He didn't mean to say it at all.

"If you don't mind." She whispered.

"I never mind." They were stopped at a red light, so he turned to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I never mind." He repeated.

The car behind them honked angrily. The light had changed, but Eric was distracted. He was staring at Calleigh in disbelief. Turning his attention back to the road, he eased the accelerator down.

"My place?" She offered. "I'll fix dinner."

"How about I fix dinner?" He offered. "I have the day off anyway."

"You don't have to." Almost back to her old stubbornness. "It's your day off. I'm sure you've got something better to do."

"Can't think of a thing."

She eyed him suspiciously.

"I'll park your car in the lot?" He changed the subject. "I'll just need the key."

"Yeah. Yeah." She reached in her purse and retrieved her key ring, easing it off the ring and handing it to him. "Be nice to her?" She was referring to her car.

"Of course." He promised.

"You really don't need to cook for me." She protested again.

"I'm going to anyway."

He thought he almost saw her smile as she turned her head back to the windshield. He'd missed those smiles.

"I missed you."

She really was full of surprises this morning. Maybe a hangover was a good thing.

"Me, too."

He pulled the car up to the building. "See you tonight?" He half expected her to rescind her request, tell him to go away.

"I'll call if I'm going to be at work too late?" She wondered why she phrased it as a question. He knew her schedule.

"Sure."

"Okay." She gave him a shy smile, and closed the door, turning to walk into the building. Her head was positively splitting.

"Wait, Calleigh." She heard him call her name and turned. "Here." He gestured for her to come back to the car.

"Here." He handed her a travel mug of coffee and a plastic grocery bag full of something she couldn't see. "You're going to need this."

"Oh." She was unsure of what to say. "Thanks."

"Any time." He kept repeating himself, hoping it would sink in. Hoping she would believe him.

He put the car back in gear, and maneuvered it out of the parking lot. Calleigh was left standing on the sidewalk, mug and bag in hand. Curiously, she peered into the bag to survey its contents. A bottle of Tylenol. A bottle of aspirin. A sandwich. A container of coffee. She didn't have to smell it. She knew it was his special Cuban coffee. She rummaged around to see what else he'd packed her. A can of CokaCola, an apple, and a banana. A lone tear traced its way down her cheek. This man. This beautiful man. He was achingly good to her. Better than she deserved. It was too much. She felt so guilty at the way she'd treated him the past few weeks. Months? Years? How long had it been?

A/N. Geesh. This got long. This chapter ran away from me. I hope you like it. I apologize for the mistakes. They're all mine. The characters, however, are not. None of the one's in this chapter anyway (well, none of the ones with dialogue. Opa and Abuela are mentioned, and they are all mine). R/R


	15. Seeing Red

Calleigh slowly made her way into the building, steeling herself against the comments her appearance was certain to elicit. Bloodshot eyes, headache. She couldn't really hide the signs. She was hungover. Calleigh Duquesne had a hangover. Word would spread. _Shoot, hell might even freeze over,_ she thought. At least she still had her sense of humor.

She made it past the desk clerk and the security guard with no problems. Maybe she could do this after all. Then she ran into Ryan.

"Calleigh!" He hollered, trotting up to her quickly. "I'm glad you're back!" He patted her shoulder, waiting for a reply.

Calleigh kept wondering why he had to yell. Really, she was a foot away from him. Was that decibel really necessary?

"Thanks." She murmured, turning toward her lab.

Ryan stood abandoned in the hallway wondering if he'd said something wrong without realizing it.

Alone in the familiar confines of the ballistics lab, Calleigh finally allowed herself to breath deeply. She tested the dizziness, turning her head to the side sharply. Her eyes clamped closed as the room swirled around her, but it was getting better. She grabbed the coffee mug Eric sent with her and took a small sip. It was heavenly, perfectly measured and sweetened just the way she liked it. _"Of course he'd made it just the way you like it, Duquesne."_ She thought to herself. _"He's Eric. It's what he does."_ She wasn't as nauseous now, and her headache was lessening somewhat. Maybe she really would be able to work today. She hoped she wasn't going to need to test fire anything. Noise, she had just learned the hard way, was not going to be her friend for a while. Her cell phone vibrated in her pocket, so she dug it out and flipped it open.

"Hi." She answered simply.

"Hey." Eric spoke softly. "I figured we should get out story straight about the car."

"Yeah, probably."

"It's broken down in the shop and I gave you a lift today?" He figured it sounded plausible, simple.

"That should work."

"Cracked distributer cap?" He figured that would be enough information to keep anyone from digging deeper.

"Sure thing." She smiled at his consideration. "I hate when that happens."

He chuckled a little at her joke. They really were on their way to being "them" again. Excitement bubbled in his stomach at the thought. He was getting his best friend back.

"I'll park it out behind back."

"Thanks. I really appreciate all this. I…" She wasn't sure how to express how embarrassed she was to be in this situation. She bailed others out of this, she was not the one who needed this kind of assistance.

"Don't mention it." He had no desire to make her uncomfortable. At least not now. He'd push her rebar reinforced emotional barriers later if he had to. Hopefully, if this morning's conversation was any indication, he wouldn't have to. "See you later?"

"Later."

They hung up and Eric relaxed onto his couch. He had his work cut out for him today, that was for certain. He scrolled down his contact list and dialed his old scuba friend.

"Nate, it's Delko." He began. "I need a favor."

An hour later, Eric pulled Calleigh's car into lot behind the lab. "I'll just be a minute." He told Nate. "I've got to drop off the keys."

Eric poked his head in Calleigh's lab, but found it empty. He didn't want to just leave her keys on the counter, so he continued looking.

"I thought today was your day off?" Natalia slapped his shoulder gently. "Can't keep you away, huh?"

"Just dropping something off." He looked around distractedly. "Have you seen Calleigh?"

"Not in a few hours." She shook her head. "I think she's on scene somewhere."

"Thanks." He headed off to the morgue. He could trust Alexx with the keys.

"Ms. Duquesne." Horatio had been watching Calleigh closely all morning. He'd known Calleigh for a while, and he was very aware that this behavior was out of character for her. "Ms. Duquesne, are you intoxicated?"

"No, H." She turned, laying the southern charm on thick. "I'm just fine."

"Calleigh," He lowered his voice. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine."

He only studied her from above the rim of his sunglasses.

"I promise."

"Ms. Duquesne, if you're having…trouble…dealing with the death of your father, you know you can see…"

"Horatio." She began, hands on her hips and accent as thick as ever. "Why is it that you never believe me when I tell you I'm fine?"

"Well," He started. "Judging by your red eyes and how slowly you make every movement, I'd say…you…have a hangover."

She bit her tongue and remained silent, looking down briefly. Was this going to jeopardize her job, she wondered?

"Anything you want to tell me?" Horatio pushed gently.

"No, not really."

Horatio Caine was not a man who made many personal connections. He cared deeply for his coworkers, his family, and his few close friends. Calleigh was one of the few people he included in all of those categories. He'd known her for years, and not once had he ever known her to have a hangover.

"Calleigh." He placed his hand on her elbow, steering her around the corner, out of the line of sight of the uniformed officers. "This isn't like you. What's going on?"

"Horatio, I really don't want to talk about it." She shook her head, trying to keep the smile on her face.

"You're going to have to talk to someone."

"I am." She sounded surprised, even to herself.

"Good." He let it drop. If Calleigh was going to take care of this herself, he saw no reason to continue this line of conversation. "You let me know if you need anything, okay?"

Calleigh smiled a genuine smile this time. She could always count on Horatio. "I will, I promise."

He nodded once, and headed out to continue collection.

"Delko." Eric answered the phone after the second ring.

"Hey, it's me."

The sound of Calleigh's voice brought an involuntary smile to his face. "What time are you getting off?"

"I'm…outside." She sounded hesitant.

"Okay?" He didn't see what the big deal was. "Are you going to come in?"

"Are you going to let me in?"

"It's your house." He sounded confused.

"Eric, where are you?"

"Where are you?" He countered.

"Your place." She smiled at the irony. "You?"

"Yours."

"Why are you at my house?"

"I thought…" Crap. He'd misunderstood. He hoped she wasn't going to be mad.

"I'll be there in a few."

He breathed a sigh of relief. The evening wasn't ruined before it began. Her voice had turned up in tone at the end of her sentence, indicative of a good mood rather than bad. It turns out that interminably boring continuing education seminar on vocal inflection in interview methodology he'd sat through one weekend was worth it after all. He turned his attention back to the soup.

"Hey, sorry about that." She breezed in half an hour later, more confidant now in her own house than she had been over the phone. "Smells good!"

Eric was aware of the fact that Calleigh was doing everything in her power to prolong the evening until she couldn't avoid talking any longer. He was willing to play along if it made her more comfortable. "You go change." He shooed her out of the kitchen. "I've got it in here."

She grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, and headed back to her bedroom. She emerged a few minutes later looking much fore casual; dressed in yoga pants and a comfortable tank top.

"Hungry?" Eric was ladling soup into bowls. "I made tomato basil."

"I love tomato basil." She stood next to him and sniffed the soup pot.

He didn't reply. He knew she loved it; that's why he made it.

They ate dinner comfortably, mostly just enjoying the company of one another's presence. Eric observed her carefully from the corner of his eye. She seemed better, less…tipsy, but very, very tense. He could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off of her from across the table.

"It's really good." She complimented his culinary skills.

"It's an easy recipe."

"Still tastes good." She pressed, munching on her crusty bread. "Thanks."

"Yeah, no problem."

They talked about the case, Eric's new niece. Calleigh smiled as she looked at the pictures he showed her. Proud Uncle Eric holding his brand new niece. Feeding her. Putting her to sleep. Little Anya sleeping, wide awake. "She's precious, Eric." She smiled and handed him the photo to put back in his wallet.

They lapsed into silence again as Calleigh rose to clear the table. Eric remembered the last time he'd been here, helped her clean up after dinner. That evening had ended so poorly, he prayed the pattern wouldn't replicate itself tonight.

They cleaned up the dishes together, the scene repeating itself from weeks before. When the last dish was put away they took sides in the kitchen. Calleigh leaned against the counter next to the fridge, and Eric across the room next to oven. Neither one spoke for several minutes. He wasn't going to push her, he'd promised himself that. Shoot, he'd promised her that, although she'd never know it. She was staring at the floor, respiratory rate increasing as the seconds ticked past. She knew what he was waiting for, and she wanted to tell him. She wanted to talk to him. She needed to tell someone, let someone in. She was trying to be ready for that person to be Eric.

"Here." Calleigh moved suddenly, dashing out of the kitchen back to the living room. He followed her curiously, wondering what he was going to discover.

"Here." She thrust an envelope in his hands and returned to the kitchen. Eric opened the file and glanced at its contents. Papers. Letters. Nothing special. He read more closely. Birth certificate. Coralee Rose. August 27, 1981. He hadn't been aware that Calleigh had a little sister. Or HAD had, for that matter. He was pretty certain she'd said she was an only child. Had Coralee died at birth?

"It's a birth certificate." He stated the obvious.

Calleigh was rummaging in the refrigerator even though she had just finished eating dinner. "I know."

"You have a sister?" He wasn't sure what was so upsetting.

She straightened, but didn't turn to face him. "My mother's name is Beatrice."

He looked down at the paper again. Father: Kenwall Duquesne. Mother: Ruby Prynne. Speechless, he silently mouthed "madre de dios" as the complexity of the situation hit him squarely in the face. No wonder she was so upset.

A/N: I had planned on finishing this whole chapter tonight, but I'm sleepy. I had four exams today, and I need to sleep. Sorry for the cliffhanger. Enjoy. R/R


	16. The Blue Period

A/N: Not much to say. Still don't own the characters. Final exams still suck. Isn't it comforting to know that some things never change? Enjoy. R/R

Calleigh didn't turn to face him. She didn't want to see the look in his eyes – on his face- whatever it was. The refrigerator door was left open and forgotten as she tried to steel herself against the hurricane of emotions that hit her at gale force. Her mother's name is Beatrice. Not Ruby Prynne, whoever that is. And this Coralee Rose person, she hardly warranted mentioning. She wished this had never happened. Wished she could go back and NOT turn on that particular lamp. Not see that particular corner of the box with is manila envelope wedged into the folds. Not read those particular papers. Maybe if she shut her eyes tightly enough and willed herself to forget she could make it all disappear. Calleigh was good at denial – it was one of her finely honed skills after a lifetime of disappointments and desperation. She knew how to pretend things were fine. She knew how to act like nothing of import had happened.

Eric, however, was more apt to allow himself to "feel" emotion, and he was feeling this one. Several of them, to be exact. He closed his eyes, too, only he was wishing for wisdom and strength. He prayed for assistance, clearly he out of his league on this one. How do you begin to comfort the woman you love when you're so full of anger yourself? Eric liked to think of himself as a relatively peaceful man. He didn't have quarrels with many people; he forgave and forgot so to speak. After being shot he'd realized how much of his time he had wasted being angry at people – people who never knew he was angry at them even. At this moment, however, he had never hated anyone more than he despised Calleigh's father. How a man could cheat on his wife like that, father a child even, was beyond Eric's powers of comprehension. His heart ached for Calleigh. This truly explained a lot. He rubbed his hand along his jaw nervously, watching Calleigh closely. _"How do I respond to this?"_ He wondered.

Back straight as an arrow, Calleigh stared straight ahead regulating her breathing tightly. Her best efforts were in vain as she sucked in one unsteady breath, and then another and another. She couldn't do this. She couldn't break down and cry in front of him. Not like this. Please, oh please. Not like this.

"Calleigh." He spoke softly, crossed the kitchen to stand behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." What else was there to say?

She didn't respond, only shook her head slowly from side to side. He waited, although for what he wasn't sure. A sign maybe? Something. Anything to let him know how to proceed. His answer came a few moments later when her head dropped and her entire body quivered. He heard the first sob escape her lips and stood paralyzed with shock for a second. Calleigh was crying. Oh, God. Calleigh was crying.

He gently turned her around to face him and drew her into his embrace without waiting for permission or admonishment. He rubbed her back softly and whispered into her ear, "It's okay to cry, Cal. Let it out."

And the floodgates burst. She sobbed into his chest. Cried for all the years of parental neglect. Cried for all the times she'd tried to get her parents attention. For all the times he had interrupted her life to drag him home, inebriated, from one fine alcoholic establishment or another. Cried for all the hugs she'd needed and never received. For all the times she'd sought out their comfort, only to learn to ignore the need. She just cried. For childhood lost and innocence burned, she sobbed whole body-wracking sobs. When her knees buckled beneath her, Eric tightened his arms around her, inching her over to the kitchen table, then lifting her upon it. He nudged his way between her knees and drew her against him once more, pressing kisses into her hair, onto her temples, forehead. He whispered reassuring words into her ear and just held on. He never told her "don't cry," he figured she needed this. He couldn't bring himself to say "it'll be okay" because he wasn't certain that it would. He only knew that he'd be there, so that's what he repeated over and over. "I'm right here. I won't let go."

Eric had never seen Calleigh cry. Not really. He'd seen tears in her eyes. He'd seen her sad, hurt, and once even a little lost. But never had he witnessed her cry. Her every sob cut into him; made him bleed a little on the inside. He flattened his hands against her back, feeling every one of her ribs. He made a note to watch her carefully to determine if she looked thinner. Had she been eating these past few weeks? He shook his head, bringing himself back into the present. She continued to cry.

"I'm right here. I won't let go."

Eventually, her crying eased to quiet sobbing, then to the occasional hiccup. He made no move to pull away, only stroked his fingers through her hair; rubbed her back. He held on. She sniffled, sinuses congested with mucous from all the crying. As much as he hated to, he had to release her for a moment. He dropped his hands to her waist, leaning down to her ear to whisper, "Don't move. I'll be right back."

She was still sitting on the table, head down and dejected when he returned with a box of tissues. Grabbing one, she cleared her head tossed it across the room to the trashcan. Eric wondered if she'd push him away, but took the chance and moved back to hold her. Calleigh raised her arms to wrap around his neck as he closed the distance between their bodies. She didn't speak for several minutes, just let him hold her. It felt nice, truth be told, to be held like this. He was rubbing her neck a little, stroking her hair. She took a deep breath and gathered the strength to speak.

"I'm sorry about that." She murmured into his neck.

"What are you sorry about?"

"This. Breaking down like that." She straightened, loosening her arms from around his neck. "The waterworks." She didn't meet his gaze.

"Calleigh," He began, hands dropping to rest on her waist. "You're allowed to cry, you know?"

"Doesn't do any good." She muttered quietly. "Won't change anything."

"Might make you feel better." He offered.

She only shrugged. "Still." She wasn't sure what else there was to say.

Eric suddenly became very aware of where he was standing, caged between her thighs, torsos still touching. His hands drew down her hip to stall on her knees for a moment as he stepped back a bit, allowing her some personal space. "Do you want to talk about it?" He offered again, figuring she'd refuse.

She shrugged again. "Not much to say." She paused. "He had an affair. Got some woman pregnant. Fathered some kid."

"And?" He waited, hoping she'd go deeper.

"And nothing." She sighed, twisting to one side to relieve the pressure that was building in her back muscles.

"Come on." He extended a hand and helped her off the table. "The couch is more comfortable."

He led her to the sofa and sat down first, tugging on her hand to bring her with him, close to him. She sat next to him, and allowed his arm to wrap around her back, her head to fall against his shoulder. _"Just this once."_ She reasoned to herself. _"Just a little comfort. Just today. It's Eric. He won't say anything."_

"What are you going to do?" He waited for an answer, then reached one hand to the sofa table. It was dark inside, and he blindly searched for the lamp.

"Please don't." She whispered, turning her body toward his a little more and halting the motion of his hand. "Leave it off."

He stilled, knowing she needed the dark if she was going to talk to him at all- open up to him. The blanket of dark anonymity would make it easier for her. He could grant her that.

Silence descended upon the room for several minutes, the only sound was their breathing and the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock.

"I don't know…" She whispered into the darkness, unable to form the words. "I'm just so…"

"Angry." He finished for her.

He felt, rather than saw, her nod. "Yeah."

"Betrayed."

Another nod. Bless him, he was going to do it for her.

He waited for her to speak again.

"All those business trips he used to go on." She spoke softly, bitterness coloring her words an ugly shade. "I want to know how many of those were to see "her.""

Eric had no response for this, but figured any emotional outburst was better than none. "Does your mother know?"

"No." She sounded definitive. "If she knew, I'd know. The whole town would know. She'd never keep that quiet."

"How could he do that?" She wondered aloud.

"I don't know, Cal. I really don't." He turned his head toward hers and pressed his lips to her hair. "I'm so sorry."

"There's some girl out there, you know?" It was a rhetorical question. "Some other daughter." She spat out the words "other daughter" venomously.

Eric nodded against her, what could he say? Nothing. He couldn't just fix this. It wasn't that easy. He hated being powerless. He was a fixer, a planner, and his hands were tied here. It was driving him crazy.

"It was all a lie." Her voice had taken on an acrimonious quality, harsh and tinged with sorrow. "All of it."

"What was?"

"Everything." He waited for her to continue, but she didn't.

"Calleigh," He began. "It wasn't a lie. The good times really happened. Nothing changes that." He wasn't sure he believed his own words, and doubted they brought her any comfort, either. "The stuff you told me, the trip to New Orleans, the cider and cookies, all that really happened."

If someone had told Eric Delko earlier that morning that he was going to be defending Kenwall Duquesne to his own daughter, he would have laughed in their face. This certainly was a new turn of events. He could not have possibly foreseen this.

She didn't respond to his assurances. It was getting to be too much.

"H. figured it out." She changed the subject.

"Figured what out?"

"Me. Hangover." She still wouldn't say it. "Wouldn't let me do anything but take pictures and fill out paperwork all day."

"Probably best." He reasoned. "You probably weren't feeling that great. And it's better for you, you know, liability wise."

"Hmmm."

Eric wasn't going to let her get away with too much. He stubbornly redirected the conversation back to the subject at hand.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He was positively floored at her response. "You're doing it." She stated simply.

"Come here." He pulled her closer to him, leaning back and propping his feet on the coffee table. He shifted her gently, drawing her head to rest on his chest. She turned into him, relishing the comfort he offered her. They talked a while longer, Eric prodding her softly to express what she was feeling.

"I just don't want to think about it any more tonight." She whispered.

"Okay." He wasn't going to push her too much. She was at least acknowledging that the situation was bothering her. Eric kept waiting for her to pull herself way from him, regain her personal space, but she didn't. Ten or so minutes later, he felt her breathing slow and even out. She'd fallen asleep against him. On him. It was touching.

An hour or so later Eric awoke in actual physical pain. His back was killing him, pain shooting down his leg and up to his shoulder. He eased his legs off the coffee table and pondered his next move. Calleigh was still asleep, worn out from the night before and the emotional wild ride she'd been on that evening. He couldn't bring himself to really move her, but he had to move. The satisfaction that she trusted him enough to allow herself to relax and fall asleep like this was stirring, and he was enjoying the feeling of her in his arms too much to relinquish it. Carefully inching his legs to the side, he pulled her up against him, ensuring she didn't roll off the sofa. Her legs were stretched out behind her on the cushions, and the maneuver was going to be tricky. Placing one leg on the sofa, he gripped her sharp little hip bones and lifted her so she was lying beside mostly beside him.

"Mmmmmh." She murmured sleepily.

"Sorry." He whispered. "Go back to sleep." She moved a bit on her own, rolling over his other leg, and tucking her back snugly into his chest.

"Mmm cold." She mumbled. It was fall, and she'd left the windows open for a breeze, but it was chilly inside now.

"Just a minute." He promised, caressing her shoulder. "I've got it."

He readjusted a bit, slipping his arm under her neck and tucking a pillow above it for good measure. He didn't want to risk her being uncomfortable.

She seemed to fall asleep almost immediately, sighing contentedly as he tucked the blanket he'd pulled off the back of the sofa around her. Her arms were bare and cool to the touch. He lifted the edge of the blanket, and carefully draped his arm around her midsection. She felt smaller than he'd imagined, and he had to be careful where not to place his hand, refusing to cross any boundaries without permission. She deserved respect, and he was going to give it to her. He knew they'd both be more comfortable in the bedroom, but he understood why she didn't extend the invitation.

Calleigh couldn't remember the last time she'd been this warm and comfortable. Something was warm beside her, and it took a moment for her to remember that it was Eric.

"You up?" His soft voice broke through the murky silence of the darkened room. He'd sensed her awaken, feeling the increased tension in her muscles.

"Mm hmm." She stretched against him. "It's getting late, do you need to go?" She secretly hoped he'd say 'no.'"

"I'm fine here." He whispered into her hair. "You okay?"

"Headache." Came her reply.

Thinking for a moment, he moved one arm to push against her shoulder gently. "Roll over."

"What?"

"Roll over. On your stomach."

"No room." She sounded farther away, almost asleep again.

He reached around in front of her and grasped the arm that was half beneath her, pulling toward him. "Come here." He helped her roll over until her chest was against his. Her arm rested on his side, and she inhaled his scent allowing it to overwhelm her senses. Eric wound his fingers through her hair and gently kneaded her neck. Her muscles were tight and ropey with the accumulation of tension; work, life, and loneliness. He continued his ministrations, noting the little sighs she made.

"Right here?" He asked, finding a particularly tight muscle, and rubbing it gently.

"Mmm hmm." She nodded a little. "That feels nice." She knew she should move; she knew this was wrong, but she was so comfortable. And it was Eric. He was working the stress right out of her neck and shoulders, and it was heaven. For the first time in her life, she wanted to just "be," to not think about what she was doing. She just wanted to exist like this forever.

Eric only brushed her hair out of her face, and worked his fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp. If she'd been a cat, she would have purred. His fingers were like magic, like magnets attracted to the opposite polarity; seemingly drawn to all the tense and sore places in her neck. He moved his hand lower, finding more stress between her shoulder blades.

"You're so tense." He felt her shrug against his chest. "Try to relax."

Her guard was down, and she was more honest with him than she really wanted to be. "I don't know how."

Eric wondered if she'd ever admitted that to anyone before. Truthfully, he wondered if she'd ever admitted to anyone that she didn't know how to do something before. "Breath with me." He whispered, peppering her forehead with kisses. "Try to match my breathing."

She concentrated on the gentle rise and fall of his chest, trying to coordinate her own respirations. He felt her start to relax, her body going limp against his. She moved against him for a brief moment, and he feared she'd awakened, but she only nudged her leg in between his knees and scooted even closer to him than he'd thought possible. Eric was confused by the developments of the evening, but he tried to not dwell on it. If Calleigh needed comfort, he was going to give it to her. He had one recurring thought that kept whirling its way through his head. He had thought it was nice to wake up that morning with Calleigh, but that was nothing compared to this. Tonight she knew exactly where she was. She knew where he when she tucked herself securely into his arms and fell asleep, trusting him to care for her in her most vulnerable state. Eric thought his heart would burst. God, how he loved this woman. He slipped his cell phone out of the pocket of his jeans and set the alarm, placing it on the armrest of the sofa, he settled down, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

R/R!!!!


	17. Expressionism

The alarm went off early that morning, shrill and loud, and Calleigh fairly jumped into the air, startled at the noise.

"Sorry." Eric murmured into her hair, pressing snooze then tightening his arms around her.

Her response was to snuggle closer, reveling in the warmth emanating from his body, the smell of his fabric softener mingling with his body wash and aftershave.

He smiled contentedly and rubbed her shoulder gently. "I've gotta go." He whispered. "I have to go home and get ready."

"Five more minutes." Her voice was muffled, the words spoken into his chest, her moist breath leaving a warm spot under his tee shirt. How could he say no?

"Sure." He kissed her hair. "Five more minutes." Sleepy Calleigh was simply too adorable to resist. Apparently, she needed her coffee before smiley, perky Calleigh came to play.

She tried to sleep again, but it eluded her. She had to talk to him, make him understand. If he left this morning, the moment they moved from the couch, it would be too late. She'd never get the nerve to say it again. Closing her eyes, she willed courage into her body, steeling her nerves against the impulse of doing something she dreaded – verbally expressing emotion. _"It's Eric."_ She reasoned with herself_. "You've known him for years. It'll be okay."_ Calleigh scoffed a bit at the irony, not able to even believe the words she told herself.

The snooze alarm went off, and she started again. Eric pulled her into him, and stroked her hair out of her face.

"You're jumpy." He observed.

"I guess."

He wondered if this was a new development, bred from her recent experiences with kidnapping, shootings, and car accidents. He made a mental note to ask her about it later.

"Did you get any sleep?" He whispered in the dim, early morning light.

She nodded, truthfully. She had slept, far better than she'd slept in weeks. "You?"

"Yeah." He lied. He'd barely slept at all, too keyed up over the excitement of the evening. He'd pondered her words, her reactions, her actions. He'd wondered what it meant, her sleeping in his arms like this. He'd just watched her sleep. Honestly, he'd stayed up most of the night just watching her breathe. Her dark eyelashes fanned out gently on her delicate cheeks, face relaxed. He'd stared at her small hand as it rested on his bicep. So trusting. So real. He wanted to remember the feeling of her in his arms forever so he had attempted to burn it into his memory forever in case the situation never repeated itself. He still wasn't sure what to make of the night. Did she just need a friend to comfort her? He wondered, but part of his mind doubted it. They were close, but Calleigh didn't display that kind of emotion to just anyone. She did trust him, he was sure of that now, but was that all?

"I've gotta go, Cal." He murmured, lips never leaving her temple.

She shivered at the intimate contact, and Eric tucked the blanket around her more securely.

"You don't have clothes in the car?" They all kept a change of clothes in their personal vehicles. The job could be messy, and it was quicker than going home to change.

"Yeah, I do."

"Okay." She dropped it, the situation settled.

"I owe you a toothbrush." She blurted out.

"Oh?"

"I used your toothbrush yesterday." She was embarrassed. This was not what she had meant to say. "I'll get you another one."

"It's fine." He smiled at the thought, their saliva mingling together, almost like kissing, but not quite. "I don't mind."

"I owe you an explanation, too."

Her soft voice, shaky and hesitant, broke into his thoughts.

"An explanation?" For the tooth brush? That hardly warranted explaining. He didn't mind.

"Yeah. And an apology." She made no effort to move from his embrace, but Eric felt his heart drop and shatter. She owed him an apology. For last night. So it was all over.

"You don't have to." He wasn't certain that he could handle listening to her tell him to go away, that she didn't mean it. That she only needed to feel SOMEONE, not HIM, last night.

"No, I do." She persisted. "You don't understand." She paused, and took a deep breath. "I…"

"It's okay, Cal." He attempted to get up, but she held on to him fiercely.

"Let me finish." She insisted. "I want to explain. A few weeks ago. You know, when…" She couldn't bring herself to say what she really meant, but she knew he'd understand the insinuation.

"Yeah." He closed his eyes at the memory, still embarrassed.

"I need to explain."

"I get it, Calleigh." He tried to get up again, thwarted by her body again. "Please, you don't have to say it." Hearing out loud how she had no feelings for him really would not help.

"No, you don't." She bit her lip before continuing. In the back of her mind she heard Maitea's words. _You have to open yourself up to receive love._ Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth to finish. "I couldn't kiss you because…because Jake and I…we were still…kind of together, you know?"

Jake. He'd lost her to Jake? Well this was just the giant, moldy pickle on the crap sandwich that was his day.

"I get it."

"No." She planted one hand on his chest, but still could not meet his eyes. "We're over. Finished. It's never going to happen."

"Then what am I doing here?" He said it a little harshly, hurt.

"No." She murmured, repeating Maitea's words as a mantra. "Jake and I. We're over. He wanted to take a break, cool things off for a bit. You know, then reassess where we were later. I couldn't kiss you because…because… I wasn't totally…free. I can't do that to you. You mean too much to me." She rushed the last sentence out, amazed at herself for even having the courage to voice it aloud.

He was silent for a moment as her words sunk in. She couldn't kiss him because she'd been with another man – sort of. But now they'd broken up. She was single. Available. And she was telling him this because…

Before her brain could register what was happening, Eric had rolled over top of her and was kneeling beside the sofa.

"Don't. Move." He kissed her temple and dashed off down the hall.

"Where are you going?" She called out after him.

"I'm going to use your toothbrush!" He smiled at the thought. There was no way he was kissing Calleigh Duquesne for the first time with morning breath.

Calleigh shook her head and stood, gathering the blanket around her shoulders. She walked to the kitchen and quickly put the coffee on, then wandered back to the bathroom.

Eric saw her and mumbled something that sounded like "You weren't supposed to move," but his mouth was full of toothpaste.

"I made coffee."

He nodded, heart warming at the sight of her wrapped in a blanket, hair mussed, standing behind him in the mirror.

He rinsed the toothbrush, moving to place it back in the holder, but Calleigh snatched it from his hand. "Scootch." She ordered, grabbing the paste and squeezing some onto the bristles. "My turn."

He stood behind her nervously, catching the blanket as it fell from her shoulders. He wrapped his arms around her waist, eyes closing in contentment. She bent to spit out some toothpaste, but her hair fell forward. Straightening, she shook her head in an attempt to shake it behind her shoulders.

"I've got it." He whispered in her ear, hands carefully gathering her long blonde hair behind her neck. She smiled a frothy thanks, and continued.

Eric stood in awe, trying to decide if he was dreaming. Calleigh Duquesne was in his arms. He bent his head down, and kissed her bare shoulder, then her neck. She was intoxicating. He knew he'd never get enough, she was like a drug to him. One taste, and he was hooked forever. Toothbrush placed back in the holder, Calleigh just stood nervously. Her heart was pounding, terrified that she was making the wrong decision. Maitea's words comforted her somewhat, then she met Eric's eyes in the mirror. He was looking at her with such…adoration. Her heart caught in her throat. He loved her. She knew that, and when she was willing to admit it to herself, she knew that she loved him, too. The look in his eyes was enough to still her nerves. This was the right decision, she affirmed to herself. Turning in his arms to face him, she tipped her face up.

"Hey." She whispered.

"Hey." They were very articulate in the morning, apparently.

"You mean it?" He sounded so nervous.

She nodded.

"You sure?" He asked again, not willing to ruin whatever newfound friendship they'd just created over the same faux pas as before. "Because I underst…"

She cut him off. "Eric." She was feeling bolder now.

"Hmm?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

"Yes, ma'am." He teased, smiling at her and obliging, bending down and kissing her first on the forehead softly. Meeting no resistance there, he moved to her temples, first right then left. He drew kisses along her cheekbones, down to her jaw, taking his time. He wanted to do this right.

Calleigh's arms migrated from his chest to around his neck as she tipped her head back a little. He was kissing her neck, tongue gently peeking out to taste the salty skin there. She arched her back, pressing into him, and bit back a moan as he kissed the spot just below her earlobe. He smiled into her skin, mentally cataloguing the information for later. He'd remember that spot. Calleigh was getting impatient, so she tried to move his face up toward hers. Any reservation she might have held was quickly fading away as he nipped and kissed his way along her throat, her cheekbones, her hairline. He hadn't even kissed her on the lips yet, and she couldn't believe the feelings stirring inside of her.

He paused and straightened for a moment, staring into the depths of her big, green eyes. She nodded almost imperceptibly at the unspoken question there, giving him the slightest of smiles. It registered somewhere in the back of her mind that her bathroom probably wasn't the most romantic place for their first kiss, but all conscious thought quickly left her brain as his lips descended upon hers. He was hesitant and gentle at first, just barely pressing his lips to hers once, twice, three times. He kissed the sides of her mouth, then paused again. The nine inch height difference was more noticeable now than ever, both of them in stocking feet. He framed her face with both his hands bent down once more, claiming her lips as his own. This time, he kissed her deeply, boldy, and she quickly lost the ability to form coherent thoughts. Responding to him, she opened her mouth ever so slightly, a small invitation for him. He eagerly accepted, tongue easing her lips wider apart and exploring the depths of her warm mouth.

He drew back entirely too quickly for Calleigh's taste, and rested his forehead against hers.

"Wow." She whispered.

"Yeah."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and they stood for several minutes, just embracing one another.

Eric wanted to tell her he loved her. Promise he'd always be there for her, never let her go. But he knew that this was not the time. She wouldn't respond well to him professing his undying love for her. She needed time, and like always, he was going to give it to her. Settling for second best, he kissed her temple gently.

"You know I'd do anything for you, right?" His lips brushed against her ear as he spoke.

She closed her eyes and nodded, allowing his words to soothe her shattered soul. She knew. She'd never doubted that fact. And now she was willing to allow herself to accept his generosity, his passion, his…love

"Same." She whispered back, unable to form the words herself.

Neither one spoke for several minutes, knowing the magic of the morning was soon to be intruded upon by the harsh realities of life.

"This is going to be tricky." Calleigh was ever practical.

"We'll work it out."

She sighed and buried her face back into his chest as he stroked her hair. "We've gotta get ready." She mumbled softly. "Get your stuff. I'll iron it while you shower."

He grinned at the simple domesticity of her offer. She was going to iron his clothes, he offered to make her breakfast. "I'll cook while you shower, then." He kissed the top of her head, lips lingering longer than necessary still unable to believe this was happening.

"Sure."

He loosened his grip, prolonging letting her go entirely as long as possible. "I'll go get my stuff." He dropped a kiss to her mouth, one hand gently cupping her face, and headed out to the car.

She had the water running and warm when he returned. "Are you sure?" He didn't want her to think he expected her to iron for him.

"I don't mind." She raised up on tip toes and kissed his jaw - it's all she could reach without the aid of her heels. "I put out towels and stuff. Everything you need should be in there already."

"I'll be quick."

She took the garments from him and headed to the laundry room.

_A/N: I believe I promised shipperiness some chapters back. There you go. More to come. I'm tired. Must sleep. R/R, s'il vous plaît!_


	18. Weeping Woman

A/N: Thank you for all your kind reviews (again. I think I repeat myself a lot here). You are so kind. I'm glad you enjoyed it, so I'm taking a break from studying for my (last two) finals to write chapter 18! Not a whole lot of substance here, but it's necessary for where it's going. Just have to figure out how to get there. lol Enjoy. R/R!!!! Por favor.

Eric scrounged around Calleigh's kitchen for a few minutes looking for food, but finding very little. He decided on French toast and berries after finding nothing else. Grabbing a bag of frozen berries from the ice box, he sat them in a bowl of hot water to thaw. He took it on himself to see to it that Calleigh eat properly; he was fairly certain that she'd been skipping meals recently.

"You're going to spoil me if you keep this up." He turned at the sound of her soft, southern accent.

"I'm okay with it."

"Orange juice?" She grabbed the carton from the fridge.

"Sure."

As they sat at her table eating, Eric kept stealing glances at her. She looked angelic, in his opinion; hair still slightly damp from the shower, face make-up free framed in the morning sunlight from the kitchen window.

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" He interrupted her chewing.

"I just want to ignore the whole situation." All hope he'd had that she was going to face her problems head-on flew out the window with her words. "Pretend it never happened. Get back to normal."

"You sure?" He had hoped that she would at least think about it a while longer.

"For now."

At least that left a window open, he figured.

"Thanks for breakfast." She smiled at him brightly, taking a sip of coffee. "It's really good."

"No problem."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Hey, man." Eric greeted the computer tech. "Can I use your computer for something?" He knew he was taking a chance, both personally and professionally here, but it was worth it. "I need to do some research. Under the table."

"Anything I should know about?" Martin was usually happy and willing to let his friend use and abuse the computers, but he wanted to be certain nothing illicit was going on.

"I just need to look up a current address on somebody."

"A female someone?" Martin teased.

Eric had to grin guiltily; his reputation preceded him. "She is female, but it's not like that. I'm just helping out a friend." It was a little lie, a white lie – barely even that. It was a mere omission of the total, complete truth, but it was close enough. He hoped that Calleigh wouldn't be to angry with him for what he was about to do, but he was willing to risk it.

Taking a seat at the computer, he quickly plugged in the search parameters. Name: Coralee Rose Prynne. DOB: 27 AUG 1981. He hit search, and sat back to await the results. Clicking "print," he grabbed the results off the printer, folded them up, and walked back to trace.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calleigh was sitting on her sofa, staring at the place where her phone sat on the coffee table. Making up her mind impulsively, she snatched it up, scrolled down to the number she wanted, and pressed "call."

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line answered.

"Abuela, it's me."

"Calleigh, mi dulce!" Maitea was always glad to hear that particular voice. "How have you been?"

"Okay, I guess." She knew she wasn't fooling anyone with her front. "Abuela, can I ask you a question?"

Maitea frowned. That tone of voice was one she knew well. "Niña, what do you need?"

Calleigh screwed her eyes shut, and nervously twirled her hair around her index finger. "Did you know that my dad…" She couldn't bring herself to vocalize it.

"Yes?"

"Did he ever cheat on my mom?"

Maitea shook her head sadly. She'd never wanted to have this conversation with Calleigh. "Honey, why do you ask?"

"I was going through the stuff you sent, and I found something." She waited for a response, but none came.

This was the conversation that Maitea and Warrener had always feared. They had suspected for some time when Calleigh's parents were married that he was having an affair. The suspicions were never confirmed, but they still worried that Calleigh would somehow find out. She couldn't bear the thought of her dear child's heart broken again by her one of her parent's foolishness. "We suspected." She also couldn't bring herself to lie. Calleigh deserved the truth, it was the least that she could do for her. "We never had any proof."

Calleigh remained silent and let the information sink in.

"Why do you ask?" Abuela broke in.

"I found something." She paused. "I found a birth certificate."

"A birth certificate?"

"Not mine." She drew a shaky breath. "A girl. Seven years younger. He had another daughter with some woman."

"Ohh, Niña." She signed. This was going to be even worse than she'd thought. "I'm so sorry."

"Do you remember a Ruby Prynne?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke. She wasn't sure she wanted to know, but curiosity got the better of her.

"No, I don't think so."

Calleigh just stared at the paper in her hand. It was old, a Xerox copy of a birth certificate, yellowing and inked in purple like the handouts from elementary school. Place of birth: Alexandria, Louisiana. "Did he ever have business in Alexandria?"

"Sweetie, I don't know. He might have." This was FAR worse than she'd ever imagined. "Are you okay, Niña?" This had to be a had blow, especially so soon after her father died. Maitea was well aware of the tumultuous relationship Calleigh and her father had. He truly had adored her, but lacked the ability to translate that into any real parenting. Now, to discover that she wasn't as special as she'd thought - she wasn't his only daughter – that had to smart.

"Not really." She admitted.

"Is there anything I can do?"

"I'll be okay, really." She didn't want to worry Abuela. "You were right." She whispered, smiling.

"Right about what, Sweetie?"

"Eric." She smiled conspiratorially.

"Niña!" Abuela cried happily. "Tell me!"

"I told him." She admitted. "He kissed me."

"And?" She prompted.

"And…we kissed."

"So, what does this mean, then?"

Calleigh clamped her mouth shut suddenly. "I don't really know." She admitted honestly. "We haven't really had time to talk about it."

"This is new, then?"

"Very." She wasn't kidding, either. "About," She glanced at her watch. "Twelve hours or so, give or take."

"Calleigh!" Abuela exclaimed. "I am so happy for you." That was an understatement if there ever was one. "He is taking good care of you, then?" This had to be a difficult time for her Calleigh, and she was praying that this "Eric" fellow was taking good care of her beloved child.

"He was very sweet, Abuela." She assured her.

"Don't you ever settle for anything less!" Maitea had often worried that Calleigh would settle; just convince herself that she was happy and live with less than she deserved. The example her parents set wasn't exactly one Maitea wanted the young woman to follow.

"You'll approve of him, I promise." Calleigh grinned. It felt good to smile with Abuela again.

"You bring him here, and let me decide for myself!" She gestured to Warenner as he came in the door. "Warrener and I will be the ones to tell if he's good enough for you, my dear." Warrener's eyes opened wide at the implications of his wife's words.

Calleigh laughed out loud at this. They would certainly interrogate him when they met. It felt good; the knowledge that these people loved her so much. "I think I'll come for Christmas, if you don't have other plans." She didn't stop to think about what she was promising.

"Other plans!" She heard Opa shout exuberantly. "Our only plans are celebrating with you, Liebchen!"

"You hear that, child?" Abuela laughed softly. "Our plans have just been made. Come see us."

"I don't know my exact schedule yet." She cautioned. "I might not have the twenty fifth off, but I can probably get some time off around that date, if that's okay."

"Our holiday will be whenever you are with us." Maitea assured her. "It will keep until you can be here."

"I'll put in for it, and let you know."

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A few days later, Calleigh was sitting in Eric's living room as he folded laundry.

"I can help, you know." She grabbed a tee shirt, and started folding.

"Stop that!" He snatched the garment away from her, laughing. "You don't have to fold my laundry. Relax. Drink your tea." He pointed at the mug on the table beside her, long forgotten.

"I'm not saying you made me." She scooped up another shirt. "I'm volunteering."

Eric relented, knowing he wasn't going to win the argument. "What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"Working, I think." She never really gave much thought to family holidays, not having any real family of her own.

"Yeah, me too." He smiled. "Come with me?"

"To work?"

"Dinner. At my folk's house."

"What?" Her eyes widened.

"My mom always makes enough food for a small army." He tried to explain. "There'll plenty of food and space, I promise." It wasn't the real reason, but he figured they'd get to that in short order.

"I don't know, Eric." She hesitated. "It's a family holiday. You should be with your family."

"Exactly." He nodded. "So come with me."

Calleigh wracked her brain trying to figure out when the last time she "met the parents" was. These situations were never pleasant or comfortable, and she and Eric hadn't been…whatever they are…for very long.

As if reading her mind, he cut into her thoughts. "They'll love you, Cal. I promise." There was no doubt at all that his mother would adore her, he was certain of that.

"Eric…" She began.

"Come on, Cal." He moved to sit next to her, arms weaving their way around her waist. "Come with me." He nibbled on her ear lobe, knowing it would garner the reaction he was looking for.

"You don't play fair." She swatted at him playfully, feeling her resolve crumble.

"You'll come, then?" He took the socks she was mating from her hands and tossed them into the basket. "Please?"

Calleigh knew it was a losing battle, and she closed her eyes as he continued his assault on her ear lobe. "Sure." She whispered breathlessly. "If you're sure it won't be an imposition."

He mentally smiled at her impeccable southern manners. Whatever flaws her mother may have had, she imparted flawless etiquette to her daughter. "I'm sure. They want to meet you."

Her eyes opened wide at this. She hadn't realized he'd spoken to his parents about "them," not that she was surprised. Eric's family was far different than hers, she reasoned. They talk, they're close. His family was a very important part of his life, and it stood to reason that he'd spoken with them about his life.

Sensing her uncertainty, he pulled her into his arms once more. "They're going to love you. You have nothing to worry about."

Unconvinced, she only smiled and kissed him squarely on the lips. "I hope so." She whispered.

"You'll go, then?"

"I'll go."

He grinned into her mouth. "Thanks."

Her reply was swallowed as he kissed her again.

A/N: It's short, and I apologize. I'm working on how to get from point A to point B. R/R! Do your thing.


	19. The Joy of Life

A/N: I'M DONE with FINALS! Wah-hoo! In celebration, I am writing chapter 19 for you fine ladies and gentlemen to enjoy (or not, it's up to you)! You all ROCK! I have fall break for two weeks, and should have ample time to write MORE OFTEN! Wah-hoo again! (I'm in a good mood, btw!). lol.

"Hey, Horatio," Calleigh began cheerfully. "What's the Christmas leave schedule looking like?"

Horatio only eyed her impassively. It was unlike Calleigh to ask for time off, especially during the holidays. Minimizing the screen he was working on, he quickly brought up the shift schedule spreadsheet.

"You're working." He watched her face carefully, searching for her motive.

"I know." She smiled. "But can I get some days off AROUND Christmas? Preferably consecutive." She kidded with him. "I'm sorry to ask, I really am, and I know, I know, I just got over a week off for my dad's funeral, but it'd be really nice to go home for the holidays and see my grandparents. They're getting older, and sometimes I…"

"Ms. Duquesne?" Horatio almost laughed outright at her rambling.

"Yes, Horatio?"

"How's the 17th through the 22nd sound to you?"

"Really? That long?" Her face froze in shock, eyes wide.

"Really." He graced her with a small smile. Calleigh, in his opinion, was a woman who needed to learn how to let the people around her care for her once and a while. He was grateful to hear that she had grandparents that she wanted to spend time with, and he hoped that they were the kind of grandparents who would dote on and spoil her. Heaven knows Calleigh could use some spoiling. She tried so hard to take care of everyone around her, even apologizing for requesting time off for herself.

"Thank you so much." Her eyes were shining brightly. "I'll work some extra shifts before and after if you need me too."

"That shouldn't be necessary, and you're welcome." He offered her the slightest smile, a rarity as far as Horatio Caine is concerned. "Enjoy your holiday."

"I will, thanks." She twirled and readied to leave his office, but paused and turned. "Happy Thanksgiving, Horatio." She offered the salutation wholeheartedly, meaning every word of it. She would be having a Happy Thanksgiving; probably the happiest she'd had in years.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eric sighed contentedly as Calleigh lay back down on his couch beside him. "You comfy?" He kissed the back of her head as she situated herself.

"Mmm hmm."

"My mom wanted me to say "hello" for her." He was uncertain of how Calleigh would react to this, but figured she'd have got get used to it eventually. His large family was loud and boisterous, and Chlorinda Delko especially showered her only son with vast love and affection. She felt much vested in his life, even now with him an adult, and she could see the change – the peace – that this new relationship had brought about. She was looking forward to meeting the remarkable woman who was at the root of it all.

"Seriously?" Calleigh wasn't sure what to make of this.

"She's looking forward to Thanksgiving." His free hand was stroking lazy circles on her abdomen. "Says she can't wait to meet you."

Calleigh bit her lip for a moment, trying to decide what to do with this new information. "What should I bring?"

"Your appetite?" Eric didn't understand her question.

"No, I mean as a gift." Calleigh explained very seriously. "I have to bring something. As a hostess gift. It'd be impolite not to."

"Is this a part of that southern hospitality thing?"

"It's just good manners, is all." She insisted.

"Really, you don't need to bring anything." He loved her for asking, though. "Just show up, that'll be gift enough…for everyone."

"Do they like wine?" She ignored his protests. "It's kind of clichéd, but it is always appropriate, right?"

"Calleigh." He cautioned.

"Or pie." She continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I make a good sweet potato pie. Or both…" She trailed off for a moment. "It wouldn't appear rude, would it, for me to show up with pie? It's not like I think she can't make one, I've eaten your mom's food. I know she can cook. I just…"

"Calleigh!" Eric laughed, and squeezed her tightly against him. "Pie is fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." He shook his head. "I'll let her know you volunteered to make one, how about that?"

That sounded like a good compromise. "Yeah. Thanks." She smiled, even thought her back was to him. "I think I'll bring wine, too."

"Bring whatever you want." He was just glad she was coming. She could bring baby pandas for all he cared.

She stretched against him, and let out a yawn. "Sleepy?" He ran his fingers through her hair.

"I'm fine." It slipped out on habit sometimes, even with Eric.

"You want the bed?" He offered. "It's late, and you're tired. I don't want you driving home."

"I'm good here." She closed her eyes.

"Cal, take the bed."

"It's your bed." She objected. "I'm not kicking you out of it."

"No, you're not." He agreed. "I'm volunteering it." Calleigh was a woman of strict boundaries and limits, and he was loathe to push her.

"We could share." She tendered hesitantly. "Just for sleeping."

Eric's heart skipped a few beats at her words. "You sure?"

"I'm not having sex with you tonight." She turned in his arms to face him; her face serious.

"It never crossed my mind that we were." Replied candidly, and brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "That's now why I'm here, Cal. You know that, right?"

"Yeah." She shook her head. "Sorry. I just…" _Smooth, Duquesne. Nice going_.

"No apologies, I just want to make sure you know I'm not about that with you." He turned her face up to meet his eyes. "Tonight. Tomorrow. Next year. Whenever. I'm not in it for the sex. I promise." This was a new one for Eric Delko – a real relationship where he got to really know a woman before sleeping with her. He didn't blame her for not believing him at first. He knew his reputation as a ladies man had been spread around the lab. He wasn't going to make all the same mistakes again, though. Not now that he finally had his perfect girl in his arms.

She stared into his eyes, and found nothing untrustworthy there. "I know." She whispered, suddenly feeling silly. She wasn't an eighteen year old virgin, for crying out loud, but she'd heard the rumors skirting around the lab in the past. She didn't for a moment think that Eric would treat her like that, but after Jake and Hagan and…the list was long and very undistinguished…she wanted to be sure. "Wanna get some sleep?" She chose her words carefully.

"Yeah." He yawned. "Let's go." He helped her up, then stood himself. "You need something to sleep in?" They usually just fell asleep on the couch together fully clothed, or she would insist that she was fine to drive and go home late at night. This was a new twist, a new development. He tried not to show how excited he was. To get to sleep – in his bed – with Calleigh was a dream come true.

"Sure, if it's no trouble."

He wrapped his arms around her waist as they walked. "You're never any trouble."

She turned her head and raised her eyebrows suggestively, for a moment. "I'm LOTS of trouble, and don't you forget it."

Eric's eyes opened wide at her words. Phew. This woman would be the death of him.

A/N: This seemed like a nice stopping point. Gotta eat. More later. R/R


	20. Dreams and Inspiration

A/N: As promised, here's another chapter. Still haven't found food, but I have clean laundry.

"Calleigh?" Eric called out as he walked in the door after work. She had the day before Thanksgiving off, so she'd stayed home to get things ready. "You home?"

"In the kitchen." He heard her voice float through the house. "Come on in."

He slipped his shoes off, then wandered into the kitchen stopping dead in his tracks at the sight. There were bowls and pans everywhere. Something smelled amazing, and warmth emanated from the oven.

"Cal?" He asked. "Did a hurricane come through here?"

She turned from stirring something, and Eric laughed outright. His perfectly coiffed Calleigh was a disaster. She had flour all over her apron, batter in her hair, and something spattered lightly on her face and dusted with more flour.

"Did any of that get into the pie?" He pointed to her apron.

"Don't start." She shook her wooden spoon at him, frazzled.

"What are you doing? We could just defrost one from the store, or go to the bakery and buy one or something".

"No, it has to be homemade." He laughed at her Martha Stewart moment.

"Really, Cal, what happened in here?"

"I couldn't decide if I wanted to bring sweet potato or pecan, so I made both." She admitted a little sheepishly.

"You made both?" He crossed the kitchen and grabbed her by the hips. "Why?" He bent down and kissed her, tasting the batter that had spattered on her face. "Never mind." He amended. "That tastes amazing. Pecan?"

Calleigh just glared at him through her eyelashes. "Yes, it's pecan. There was a little "incident" with the mixer."

"What kind of incident?"

She pointed to the tops of the counters and spots on the ceiling. "I need you to help me clean off the pecan pie."

Ignoring the fact that he was going to get flour and God knows what else all over him, he drew her into a tight hug, holding her close against his body. "You don't have to stress about this. I promise. Relax."

"I am relaxed." She protested. "I just haven't baked in a while, and I forgot you have to shut it off before you take it out of the batter. I don't make pie everyday, you know."

Eric just shook his head and laughed.

"Honest." She continued. "I love baking. I just don't do it much because I'll eat it all."

"So, there's sweet potato around here somewhere?" He released her and nosed in the fridge.

"Just about ready to go in the oven." She pointed. "The pecan's cooling on the deck."

Grabbing the phone and a menu, he started dialing.

"What are you doing?"

"Ordering us dinner." He smiled fondly at her. "I think we've got our work cut out for us cleaning up this mess. Let's not make another one, okay?"

"Get me grilled chicken."

"I know." He teased, kissing her on the forehead.

"Are you bringing both of these tomorrow?" He asked after he was done ordering.

She only nodded, and grabbed a bottle of wine off the counter, handing it to him. "I found this at the store. The sommelier assured me it's fantastic. Do your parent's like red?"

He looked at the bottle and gasped. "Cal, this had to be expensive." It was a Sangiovese red, imported from Italy. "Brunello di Montalcino Le Macioche?" He asked.

"They let me taste one similar to it." She nodded toward the bottle. "It was fantastic."

"How much did this set you back?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Calleigh." He groaned. "You don't need to do all this. No one would think anything if you just showed up tomorrow with nothing."

"Well, that's not going to happen." She straightened from putting the pie in the over, and turned to face him. "Besides, I happen to love baking and good wine. So, it's really not all that altruistic of me. It's rather selfish, actually."

Eric shook his head at her stubbornness. Dropping a kiss to her forehead, he dipped his finger in the bowl she just emptied. "This is delicious." He said, licking the sweet potato goodness off. "I'm going to pick up dinner. Don't clean this up until I get back. I'll help."

"Help, nothing!" She called after him as he walked to the front door. "You're cleaning it on your own!"

"You okay?" Eric asked, pausing at the front door. They'd gotten off work a little early, weaseling their way out of paperwork to escape at slightly separate times in different cars, only to meet up at his house, grab the pies and wine, and dash across town.

"I'm fine, Eric." She smiled sweetly at him. Oddly enough, she was fine. All that nervous energy she'd had yesterday faded away over the previous evening as they ate dinner together, cleaned up the kitchen, lounged around her patio. "Really. Let's just go in."

"I –" He stopped himself in time. "I want to thank you for this."

She rewarded him with a brilliant smile as he opened the door.

"Ma?" He called.

Calleigh heard the screams first, and for the briefest instant, she considered running. Eric's hand on the small of her back was the only thing holding her in place.

"Mi hijo querido!" Calleigh heard a woman exclaim_. _

"_Okay. That's his mother."_ Calleigh looked around, and knew she was going to have trouble keeping track of all the names.

"What have you brought?" She took the bag with the pies and wine from him, and handed it to…someone. Calleigh wasn't sure who.

"How are you doing, Ma?" Eric bent and hugged his mother as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Muy bueno!" She framed his face with both her hands, forcing him to remain slightly stooped over. "You look good." She proclaimed after a moment's examination, releasing him at last.

"Thanks, Ma." He gestured for Calleigh to come closer. "Ma, this is Calleigh." He placed a comforting hand on her waist.

Clorinda Delko was a woman who never met a stranger, and she immediately wrapped Calleigh in a warm hug as well. "Calleigh!" She exclaimed. "It's so good to finally meet you, my dear."

Calleigh recovered quickly from the unexpected hug, and happily hugged the woman back. "Thank you." She spoke softly. "I'm very pleased to meet you, too. Eric speaks of you all the time."

Releasing her only momentarily, Clorinda grabbed both of her hands, and looked her up and down appraisingly. "Tú ha elegido una belleza verdadera, mi hijo."

Calleigh blushed at the complement a little, and Eric smiled. "Ma, ella dice el español fluido."

"Es verdad?" She turned and looked at Calleigh.

"Sí." She affirmed simply.

"Well." His mother hmmphed. "I guess the secrets out of the bag, the, isn't it?" She pulled Calleigh with her into the kitchen

"Have you met everyone?" She asked once Calleigh was safely in the kitchen.

"Not just yet." Calleigh smiled. Now she understood why Eric was so…open and loving. His mother was amazing, and she felt immediately at ease.

"Well, just you wait a minute." She handed Calleigh a glass of water. "Everyone eventually comes through here. Sit long enough, you'll meet the whole neighborhood."

"Abuela!" A young boy ran into the kitchen. "Abuela, is it dinner time yet?"

"Almost." The small child started to run from the kitchen, but Clorinda caught him by the collar. "This young man." She began. "Is my grandson, Viktor. Viktor, this is Calleigh."

Calleigh was amazed as the small boy straightened and extended his hand to her. "It's nice to meet you." He smiled a gap toothed grin at her as she shook his hand.

"Thank you, Viktor." She bent down and smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"Can I go now, Abuela?" He whiled. "Vincent and Mikey are gonna finish the fort without me!"

"Go!" She shooed him out of the kitchen.

A lovely woman a few years older than Calleigh walked in next. "Ma, have you seen my…" She stopped when she saw Calleigh sitting at the table.

"Dios mio!" She exclaimed. "You must be Eric's Calleigh!" She squeeled happily, grabbing her hand and pulling her to her feet. "I'm so glad to meet you! Ma!" She called, pulling Calleigh with her. "Ma, we're going to find Gloria and Liz! We'll be right back."

"So." She began. "You're Calleigh. THE Calleigh."

"_THE Calleigh?"_ Calleigh pondered to herself.

"Eric has told me so much about you. I feel like we've met already!"

Calleigh did the math in her head. Marisol was dead, she said they were finding Gloria and Liz. "You're Cristina." She pronounced.

"Oh, my goodness!" Cristina stopped and turned. "I'm so sorry. Yes, I'm Cristina. This," She pointed to a stunning woman with raven black hair, impeccably dressed. "Is Liz, and you already know Gloria."

Calleigh murmured her hellos, and peeked at the little bundle Gloria was holding. "This is little Anya, then?" They nodded approvingly. "She's precious, you must be so excited."

"We're pretty partial to her." Gloria joked. "How have you been? I feel like it's been years since I've seen you."

"Just about." Calleigh was grateful for the familiar face. Where had Eric disappeared to? She was going to kill him for this later.

"Mom needs us in the kitchen." Cristina announced. "It's almost time for dinner."

Dinner passed without too much incident. Calleigh was introduced to all three of Eric's brothers in law, his father, and all the nieces and nephews. She sat quietly during dinner watching the family interact. They were loud and loving, and a secret part of her yearned for this kind of interaction with relatives.

When it was all over, she helped the women clean up the mess while the men and children went outside to play a rowdy game of football. When the kitchen was clean again, Eric's sisters dragged Calleigh outside to watch.

"Hey, Cal?" Eric tossed her the football. "Wanna play?"

She glanced at her heels, and wished that for once she'd worn sensible footwear, ignoring the fact that she's five foot three inches tall. "Not today." She tossed it back to him.

"Hey!" Charles hollered. "She's got a good arm. Next year, she's on my team!"

Eric and Calleigh shared a quiet smile at the insinuation.

"Owww!" One of the smaller children cried out. "I hurt my knee."

"Mikey, come here." Eric knelt down and looked at the knee. "It's not too bad, Buddy. We'll get it cleaned up, and you'll be good as new." He grabbed Calleigh's hand as they walked into the house.

"Up you go, Buddy." He hoisted the boy onto the kitchen counter. "I'll be right back. Don't move. I'm gonna get the first aid kit." He nodded to Calleigh for her to follow him.

"You doing okay?" He kissed her in the quiet of the guest bathroom as he rummaged in the linen closet for peroxide and bandaids.

"They're great, Eric." She told him honestly. "Really, I'm having a great time."

"Everybody loves you." He whispered in her ear.

Clorinda joined them in the kitchen, watching tearfully as they patched up her grandson. "Calleigh, have some coffee with me?" She offered, moving toward the machine, mugs already in hand.

"I'd like that." She nodded to Eric with a smile. "I'll be in here for a while. Enjoy the game." He smiled at her and opened the door for Mikey, ruffling his hair as the small boy breezed past.

"Tell me about yourself." Corlinda invited setting a mug in front of Calleigh.

"What do you want to know?" Calleigh hated open-ended questions, but she felt so comfortable in the older woman's presence that she didn't mind as much as usual.

"Where are you from?"

"I grew up in Darnell, Louisiana, but I've been in Miami for about nine years now."

"You like it here, then?" She questioned.

"It's not Louisiana, but yeah, I like it. There's always something going on in Miami."

They talked for a while longer when another grandchild, a granddaughter this time, came in crying. "Abuela, Vincent hit me." She pointed to a spot on her cheek growing red as she spoke.

"With what?" The CSI in Calleigh went to work immediately.

"The football." The small girl sniffled. "He throwed it at me."

"Threw." Clorinda corrected. "He threw it at me, Zoe. I'll get some ice." She hurried to fix an ice pack when the distinct sound of crying was heard over the baby monitor. "Calleigh, honey, can you get her?" She nodded toward the source of the sound.

"Me?" Calleigh wasn't sure she was up to the challenge. "I'm not sure I'm the right person. Why don't I get the ice?" She moved to take the ice pack from Mrs. Delko, but Zoe protested loudly.

"No! I want Abuela!"

"You'll be fine, dear." She nudged Calleigh up the stairs toward the nursery. "Just bring her down if she's hungry." She called up after her.

Calleigh trusted the sound of the crying to lead her to the proper room. She didn't want to snoop in this house. These people weren't suspects or victims at a crime scene. They were Eric's family, and she wanted to preserve their privacy. The noise increased abruptly as she passed a partially open door. Pushing it open, she stepped into the nursery that Clorinda kept for all her youngest grandchildren.

"Hey, sweetie." Calleigh cooed at the small bundle squirming in the crib. "What seems to be the problem here?" She scooped Anya into her arms, and held her awkwardly for a moment. Little Anya continued to cry as Calleigh tried to rock her back and forth.

"Come one, honey." She whispered. "What's the matter?" She did a quick diaper sniff check. That came back negative. Not the diaper. "Are you hungry?" She started to walk down the stairs, but was met by Clorinda on her way into the nursery wielding a warmed bottle.

"Oh, here." Calleigh tried to hand off the child to her grandmother. "It's not the diaper."

"You seem to have it under control." Clorinda smiled sweetly, and handed Calleigh the bottle. "Here you go."

Calleigh stood staring at the open door after Clorinda disappeared. Eventually, Anya's screams penetrated her brain. "Sugar, Sugar." She soothed, offering her the bottle. Anya quieted almost immediately, hiccupping a little as she ate. "There, is that better?" She stood and rocked back and forth gently.

"Hey, Ma!" Eric greeted his mother with a kiss. "Have you seen Calleigh?"

"She's upstairs feeding Anya." Clorinda sipped her coffee with a knowing glint in her eyes.

"Calleigh?" Eric took the stairs two at a time. He'd known Calleigh a long time, and he'd NEVER known her to fuss over children. Care deeply about their welfare – yes. But actually physically take care of them? Not Calleigh. He rushed down the hall toward the nursery and stopped dead in his tracks at the tender scene he encountered.

"Guten Abend, gute Nacht, Mit Rosen bedacht,  
Mit Naeglein besteckt, schlupf unter die Deck'  
Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt  
Morgen frueh, wenn Gott will, wirst du wieder geweckt"

Eric had to swallow his heart to get it back into place at the sight. There was Calleigh, gently rocking his niece back and forth, singing her a lullaby. She kissed the small child sweetly, and whispered something he couldn't hear. Eric had a quick flash into the future, and he watched his wife rock his daughter to sleep. It was like everything he'd always wanted.

Calleigh sensed his presence, and turned her head. "Hey." She whispered. "She's almost out."

Eric moved to stand behind her, and dropped a kiss to her neck, jaw, the corner of her mouth. "You doing okay?"

"I don't know what I'm doing." She confessed, moving to hand him his niece.

"You keep her." He whispered in her ear. "Don't want to wake her up. Besides." He reasoned. "You're a natural." He closed his eyes, and let the daydream overtake him once more.

A/N: Do your thing! R/R!!! Think of reviews as a little post-finals present to me!


	21. Hearts and Spades

A/N: I'm glad you liked chapters 19 and 20! R/R as you see fit.

"Calleigh, do you have the results on that shotgun back yet?" Natalia whizzed into the ballistics lab late Friday afternoon.

"No." Came a terse reply.

"Do you have an idea when you'll have them?" Natalia didn't usually push Calleigh, but she wanted to go home early.

"Nope."

"This afternoon?" Natalia pressed. "Tomorrow? Next week?"

"Natalia, I am not accustomed to withholding evidence." Calleigh whirled and released her venom full-force. "I do my job well, and I will let you know WHEN I am done with your evidence, IF I am done with your evidence, and not a minute sooner." She whirled back around so her back was to Natalia.

Stepping back from the power of Calleigh's outburst, Natalia stared wide-eyed. This was unlike Calleigh, and despite the fact that she had every reason to be angry right now, she chose a different route. "Calleigh." She started hesitantly. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine." She answered shortly. "I'm working." The message was unmistakable. _Go away._

"If you want to talk…" She trailed off; Calleigh wasn't going to take her up on the offer anyway, so she turned and left.

"Hey." Eric greeted Natalia as she entered the lab.

"Hey." She paused thoughtfully, then continued. "What's up with Calleigh?"

"Calleigh?" He knitted his brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I just asked her if she was done with my results," She explained. "And she bit my head off."

"Just like that?" This was a concerning turn of events. She's seemed off this morning, as well.

"I may have asked her if she knew when she'd be done with them." Natalia huffed. "But that did not warrant the tongue-lashing she gave me. She's usually so damned perky."

Eric knew he had to tread carefully; not display too much concern. His sisters could always tell when he was lying, and he had a hunch that Natalia could, too. "PMS?" He offered.

"That is so like a man!" She exploded. "Any time a woman has a bad day, just blame hormones. There could be another explanation, you know."

"Sorry." Eric figured he was in the clear as far as Natalia was concerned. "I'll go talk to her." He grumbled and fled the room. He'd have to wait until after work to talk to Calleigh, but he could do something to make her day better.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Coffee?" He carried a peace offering, holding the coffee out in front of him.

"You're an angel." She held out her hand for the mug.

Eric moved across the bench to stand next to her. To the casual observer it would look as though two colleagues or friends were merely sipping coffee and examining evidence. The conversation, however, was anything but casual. "You doing okay, Cal? Nat said you're upset about something. Talk to me, Honey." The endearment slipped across his tongue before he could censor it. He bit his tongue and looked through the microscope to give the illusion of "working."

Calleigh was silent for a moment, and Eric feared that she was offended by the term. "I don't want to talk about it."

He moved a hand to her knee and squeezed gently. Truthfully, he had hoped they were past all this "_I'm fine_" crap. "You're not fine." He whispered lips barely moving. "So don't tell me that you are."

"Not now." She croaked out through clenched teeth.

He stood, pushing his stool across the bay, and walked to the other side of the counter. "Come over tonight." He waited for her curt nod, and then left her to stew.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calleigh sighed, and raised her hand to knock on the door. Rapping softly, she waited until she heard footsteps, then took a step back.

The door opened slowly to reveal Eric, dressed in dark jeans and a crisp white shirt. He'd changed clothes after work – changed clothes for…her? "You look nice." She tried to change the subject.

"Have you eaten?" It was late. He figured she had. Her nod affirmed his suspicions. Stepping aside, he welcomed her into his home, but the tension she brought in with her was palpable.

"I think I'm going to look her up." Calleigh didn't beat around the bush, that's for sure.

It took a while for Eric to figure out what she meant by her statement. "You sure?"

"She deserves to know."

"To know?" Eric wasn't certain of her meaning. "To know what?"

"That her father died."

"That your father died." He corrected.

"Whatever." She shrugged nonchalantly.

He led her by the elbow to the sofa, and sat them both down. Covering her hand with his, he took a deep breath, searching for the words to say. "What can I do?"

"I'll take care of it."

"Calleigh." He tried not to sound as exasperated as he felt. "Cut the stiff upper lip cr…stuff, please. What can I do?"

"I could use a hug." She was proud of the fact that her voice didn't waver even a little with the request.

"Come here." He slipped an arm beneath her knees and pulled her into his lap, leaning back into the cushions, and holding her tightly to him. They sat like that for a while as Calleigh composed herself again.

"I, uhh." She started. "I could use your help finding her address." Truthfully, she wasn't sure she could do it all by herself. Now more than ever she was grateful for his support and affection.

"I might have already done that." He was treading carefully.

"Done what?" She raised her head from his shoulder. "You found her already?"

He couldn't tell by the tone of her voice if she was upset or not, and her face was unreadable. "Are you upset?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest." She wrinkled her nose. "Why?"

"I wanted to help. Honest. I just thought…if you changed your mind…it'd be nice if you didn't have to…you know…do it all on your own." He was rambling. "No one can connect it to you. No one knows. I swear."

When she did reply, her voice did not hold a shred of the anger he had anticipated. "What'd you find out?"

He kissed her and scooted her off of his lap. "Be right back." He shuffled into his office to retrieve the folded papers. Thank God she wasn't angry. This could have easily gone the opposite direction.

"Here." He sat down, and then offered her the papers. She sat staring at them at first, unable to unfold them and read what they say.

Slowly, with shaking hands she unfolded the papers. She glanced over the first page, breath catching a few times. Eric rubbed her back tenderly, wishing he could do something more for her. Flipping to the second page, she read a bit then the papers fluttered to the floor. "Georgia." She whispered. "She's in Georgia."

"The address is a little old." He cautioned. "She may have moved by now."

"It's an apartment." She nodded. "People in their twenties rarely stay in the same apartment for four years."

"I have a buddy on the Georgia state police." He wrapped himself around her in an attempt to comfort her. "I can ask him to see what he can find out."

"No." She shook her head. "I'll call the alumni association. Maybe she's a member. Keeps an updated address."

"Emory." He nodded toward the papers, now forgotten on the floor. "Good school." What he really was thinking was, "_brains must run in the family_," but Calleigh wouldn't want to hear that right now, so he kept his mouth shut.

Later that night as they lay in bed, he couldn't help but ask. "What made you change your mind?"

She raised her head from its comfortable position on his chest. "I'm not sure." She wasn't telling him the complete truth. The day before she'd had a talk with Eric's mother.

"_Do you have brothers or sisters?" Chlorinda asked._

_Calleigh hesitated, not sure she wanted to open that can of worms with a virtual stranger. "Not really." She settled for a half truth. _

"_How do you not really have any sisters or brothers?" Chlorinda didn't really understand. How could she? Calleigh barely understood herself._

"_It's complicated." Calleigh picked up her spoon and stirred her coffee. _

"_Sweetie." Chlorinda reached across the table and stilled her hand, which was now nervously folding and unfolding her napkin. "You can tell me. I have good ears."_

_Calleigh glanced up at this woman, a virtual stranger. She was so much like Eric in so many ways. They were both so caring, so tender. So…loving. She took a deep breath, and considered diving in. "My dad died about a month ago." She decided to try jumping in feet first instead. She was never that fond of diving anyway._

"_Eric mentioned that." Her eyes held the same sympathy that Calleigh had seen in Eric's when she'd told him. "How are you holding up?" _

"_I'm okay." She shrugged. "It's just…I found out something…weird…is all."_

"_Weird, how?" _

"_I might have a half sister somewhere." She couldn't believe she was telling this to someone she'd only met that day. _

"_Might?" Chlorinda pressed._

"_I've never met her." _

"_She didn't come to the funeral?" _

"_I don't think she knows he's dead." Calleigh realized that there was no way for this other girl to have any knowledge of the man's death._

"_A girl deserves to know her father's dead, Honey." _

"_I guess."_

"I guess I had a change of heart."

"I like your heart." He leaned down and kissed her again.

A/N: It's short. I know. But it's a good stopping place. R/R


	22. Evolution

Her heels made sharp staccato taps on the tile floor of the lab as Calleigh marched through the hall.

"Hey, Ryan. Have you seen Eric?" She paused only momentarily, barely breaking her stride to hear the answer.

"He's in a meeting in H.'s office." He called after her.

She frowned. She was on a mission, and did not want to lose momentum. If she stopped now, she might never work up the nerve again. She paced outside of Horatio's office a few times before the frustration got to her. Whirling around, she set out for the morgue. Maybe being around Alexx would calm her frazzled nerves.

"Hey, there Alexx." She called out cheerily.

"Calleigh." She greeted her warmly. "What brings you down here?"

"Just came to say hello." It was close enough to the truth for now. "How have you been?"

"Busy. Busy." Alexx snapped her gloves off and walked to the sink to wash her hands. She had work to do, but it could wait a few minutes for a good friend. She'd been wanting to talk to Calleigh for a while now. "How have you been, Sweetie?"

"Oh, you know." Her smile seemed less forced than it had in recent weeks, but Alexx still wanted the dirt.

"Did you and Eric patch things up?" She knew they had, but she wanted confirmation…and details. Alexx had an inkling of what was going on, but she wasn't going to bring it up unless Calleigh opened the door. Wide.

"We're good."

"Not fighting anymore?" Alexx eyed her critically.

"No." She smiled and shook he head. "We're not."

"Good." She smiled at her blonde friend. "So. Is anything new going on with you? We've haven't talked in a while." She could pry a little.

"No. Not really." Calleigh replied a bit warily. She should have known better than to try to hide anything from Aexx. "I got some time off around Christmas to go to Louisiana."

"You got Christmas off, Honey?" Eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What kind of favors did you trade in?"

Calleigh laughed softly. "No. I don't have Christmas off. Just a few days before it."

"That's good."

"What about you? Anything new?" Calleigh was starting to regret coming to talk to Alexx. She was pretty sure the pathologist could read every thought her head.

"Ladies." Horatio interrupted their conversation, saving Calleigh from becoming even more uncomfortable.

"Horatio." Alexx reached for a pair of gloves. "Let me show you what I've got."

Calleigh took that as her cue to leave, and went back upstairs in search of Eric. She finally cornered him in the locker room rummaging in his locker.

"Are you busy tonight?"

He thought about it for a few seconds before shaking his head. "No. You got something in mind?"

"Come with me?" She lifted her chin to give the impression of strength, but her knees felt like jelly.

"Where are we going?"

"Just come with me?" She repeated. "Please?"

Eric saw the slight flash of fear in her eyes, brief though it was. "Cal, is everything okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just…" She opened her locker as Natalia walked in.

"Hey guys." Natalia greeted them. "You all done for the day?"

"Not me." Calleigh attempted to break the tension by adding an extra dose of perky to her response.

"Me either." Eric slammed his locker shut and locked it. "See you gals later." He sauntered toward the door, and Calleigh tried to unobtrusively follow his movements with her peripheral vision. He caught her eye and nodded a little in affirmation. He would go with her – whatever she needed done, wherever she was going – he was going to be right beside her.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calleigh had her face down in her work, completely unaware of the person standing in the doorway of her lab watching her intently. When a body pressed up against hers, she had to clamp her mouth shut to stifle the startled shriek that rose unbidden in surprise. "Eric." She knew it was him without looking. "People can see."

"I'm behind you. No one can see how close I am." He leaned close and spoke into her ear in a low voice.

Calleigh gulped as the little vibrations of sound from his voice teased the little hairs on the side of her neck.

"I'll come with you tonight." He continued in that same low voice. "Do you want to leave straight from here or…" He didn't finish.

"I'll meet you at your place?" She proposed.

"Do you want me to pick up something for dinner?"

He was driving her mad talking like that into her ear, she bit her bottom lip and trained her eye on the printout she was holding. "No." She tapped the papers with her pen like she was pointing to something important that he needed to see. "I won't be hungry. Eat before I get there."

"You have to eat." He moved one arm around her shoulders to point at the papers, but purposefully brushed it against her. "I'll bring you something to eat on the road, how's that?"

"It's really not necessary." Her back pressed into his chest against her will. Apparently her body parts had developed a mind of their own.

"See you later, then." His lips just grazed her ear as he spoke, and he let his hand slide up her forearm to her elbow before turning and leaving her to her paperwork.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calleigh arrived at Eric's condo at seven o'clock sharp. Turning off the ignition, she sat in the car for a moment, composing herself before leaving the safe confines of her vehicle.

"Calleigh." He enveloped her in a hug as he opened the door.

"You ready." She cut him short.

"Sure." He grabbed his keys, locked the door, grasped her hand in his, and allowed her to lead him to her car. "Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Truthfully, he was a little concerned about the excursion. She'd given him no information, and she'd been tense all for a few days.

They were on the interstate before Calleigh spoke again. "Sunrise."

Eric frowned at the cryptic clue. "Sunrise." He repeated. "We're going somewhere to watch the sunrise? Aren't we kind of skipping the whole go to sleep, get up insanely early , drink hot coffee on the beach as we watch it part?"

"The city."

"We're going to Sunrise, Florida. The city?" And his brain apparently went on vacation today, because he was incapable of forming original thoughts and had resorted to parroting her every word. "Why?" Monosyllabic, but at least it's original.

"She lives there." Calleigh couldn't actually say her name.

"Ooooh." He breathed. Now it all made sense. He was a little astonished, though. He hadn't been aware that she'd found a current address. Apparently she had luck with the alumni association. Idly, he wondered what kind of power she'd abused in convincing them to give her the address.

Calleigh didn't say another word as she weaved her way through the traffic. Fifty or so odd minutes later, they were parked in an apartment complex, still not speaking a word. Eric watched the minute hand on his watch move once. Twice. Three times. Seventeen minutes later they were still sitting in silence. She had yet to relinquish her hold on the steering wheel, knuckles white as she gripped it tightly. Eric reached over and gently pried her right hand away, massaging her hand and fingers as they sat.

"You sure you want to do this?"

"No." Her voice was steady, but her insides were shaking, melting even – just like her courage.

"We can go back." Eric wanted to pull her into his lap and shield her from every mean and evil thing in the world. At that moment, sitting in the darkened car with her, he felt a sudden surge of anger. For the briefest of seconds, he realized that if Kenwall Duquesne wasn't dead already, he might be willing to kill the man himself in retribution for all the pain he'd caused Calleigh over the years. Even now, from beyond the grave, he was hurting her.

Calleigh grabbed her hand away from his, and shot out of the car in one swift motion. She trembled a little as she strode down the sidewalk. She climbed a set of stairs and halted in front of a door. Eric glanced around. There was a cheerful welcome mat outside the door. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he hugged her to him and dropped a kiss to her hair, willing some of his strength to somehow be of assistance to her. Eric listened for noise inside the apartment. He thought heard music, and possibly a female voice singing along. It was a little amusing, to be honest. He'd walked into Calleigh's house a few days ago and found her singing along to her iPod, oblivious to his presence.

Gathering her wits about her, Calleigh raised a fist and rapped a few times on the door, then shrank back against Eric as uncertainty tugged at her nerves.

"I can't do this." She whispered, voice wavering.

"Do you want to go?" He tried to turn her toward the steps.

"No." She planted her feet to the ground. Squaring her shoulders and exhaling deeply, she knocked again, harder this time.

"It's open." A muffled voice called out. "Come on in."

Rather than barge in, Calleigh knocked a third time. She heard footsteps approaching, and the voice again. "Why are you knocking, Sar? Just come in, you know-" She opened the door and her voice faltered, not seeing her friend Sarah standing in the doorway. "Can I help you?" She questioned them, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Eric nudged Calleigh, not wanting to overstep his bounds. If she only wanted him here as moral support, he'd keep his mouth shut and do just that – support. Calleigh remained silent for a few minutes longer.

"Look." The girl's voice broke in. "I love a good staring contest as much as the next girl, but I really have stuff to do. So, if you decide you want to talk, just come on in." She backed away from the door, but Calleigh found her voice at last.

"We're looking for a Coralee Prynne" Calleigh stumbled over the name. "Are you…?"

"Maybe." The girl turned back around and tilted her head. "Who's asking?"

Coralee's eyes moved from one to the other, studying their faces. Eric watched as her eyes opened wide in recognition and surprise. He looked at her face closely, and gasped quietly. She looked awfully familiar to him. He couldn't place his finger on it, but he was certain they'd met. For a brief, tortured moment, Eric thought he knew why she looked so familiar_. "Dear God, tell me I didn't sleep with Calleigh's sister. Or her roommate if that's who this is."_ He should have known his Cassanova days would catch up with him. There was no possible way he could explain this to Calleigh and walk away with his manhood intact. Literally. This was not going to end well.

Calleigh turned suddenly to flee, dragging Eric with her. He heard her mumble "I can't do this."

"Calleigh, wait." It occurred to Eric that his wasn't the only voice piercing the tension thickened silence. Calleigh and Eric turned simultaneously to face the small woman.

Eric studied the girl again. She was a slight bit of a woman, shorter than Calleigh by a few inches. He judged her to be about five feet tall – maybe five foot one. She had long hair, light brown in color. She was well dressed, in nice pressed khaki pants and a turquoise blue v-neck sweater. Tasteful jewelry. He looked closer. Big green eyes. Her mouth was a little smaller, not as wide as...he wasn't sure who...but she did the same things with it. Her facial expressions were so familiar. It dawned on Eric why she looked so recognizable to him. He hadn't slept with her. He'd never even seen her before. She looked like a slightly younger, slightly shorter, brunette version of Calleigh. Relief coursed through his veins, and immediately he felt guilty for worrying about himself rather than Calleigh. She was standing still, rooted to the spot and unable to move from it.

"You came all this way." Coralee spoke softly, eyes watching Calleigh the entire time. "You might as well get what you came for."

"You know who I am?" Calleigh found her voice at last; the shock momentarily rendering her speechless.

"And you know who I am." Coralee's face was one of complete sympathy as she spoke, but her voice was sure and steady.

Neither one spoke for a moment as they stood, sister silently sizing up the other sister.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Coralee whispered. She looked from face to face, waiting for someone to affirm or deny her suspicions. "That's why you're here?"

When Calleigh didn't respond, Coralee turned her full attention to Eric, eyes full of pain and something else. Eric had seen that look in Calleigh's eyes, and he wondered if all the women in Kenwall Duquesne's life ended up in this exact same emotional state because of his thoughtlessness. Sadly, he nodded with a tight-lipped smile apologetically. "I'm sorry."

Coralee only nodded, processing the information slowly, then moving aside. She gestured for them to come in, and walked into the kitchen. Eric ushered Calleigh inside the apartment, giving the home a once-over. It was neat, clean, and well-decorated, but not overly so. He could tell she it was a work in progress. Coralee reappeared with a glass in each hand.

"Here." She offered them each a glass. "I hope you like sweet tea. I only have this or soy milk." She paused for a moment. "I can make coffee if you'd rather." She offered. "I have water, too, but no ice."

Eric took the proffered glass and sipped it. It was different than Calleigh's recipe, but very good.

"Please." She pointed to the sofa. "Make yourselves at home."

Calleigh sat stiffly on the edge of the sofa, uncertain of what to make of the situation. It was utterly unreal to her. She could scarcely believe that she was sitting in the apartment of the child her father had with some…some...she didn't want to think it.

No one spoke for several minutes, and Eric decided once and for all that he was not a fan of the uncomfortable silences.

"So." Coralee broke the silence. "You're Calleigh." She paused. "I really never thought this day would come."

"It shouldn't have." Calleigh's voice held a venomous tone.

Coralee only nodded, understanding.

"How do you know my name?" Calleigh's voice sounded pained.

"I've always known your name." Coralee responded. "You're all he ever talked about."

"You knew me by sight." It wasn't a question.

"Pictures." She shrugged. "He always had pictures of you."

That was the final straw. Courage failing her, Calleigh shoved her glass into Eric's hand and fled, leaving the front door open. He stood to follow her, but was thwarted by a small hand on his arm. "Let her go."

"But-" He tried to gesture toward the open door, but his hands were full of glasses.

"Let her go." Coralee repeated. "She needs to deal with this."

"It's dark." He protested.

"It's a safe neighborhood." She assured him. "If she's not back in fifteen minutes, I'll go looking for her myself."

"But…"

"Trust me." Coralee assured him. "She'll be okay. Just let her deal with this for a few minutes."

"What about you?" Eric was skeptical.

"She's known about me for, what…a few weeks at best?"

Eric nodded.

"Well, I've about her for twenty seven years. I'm good, but thanks."

They stood awkwardly for a bit, neither one certain of what to say or how to say it. After what seemed like an eternity, she reached out and took Calleigh's glass from his hand. "I'll take care of this." She left him standing in the living room.

"Can I get you something else?" She asked politely. "I have food, or…" She trailed off.

Eric was listening to her voice. The accent wasn't exactly like Calleigh's, but it was thick and present. He guessed she hadn't lived in Louisiana for a long time. Regarding her carefully, he observed her in silence. She moved about the apartment, back to the dining area and took a seat at the table. He hadn't noticed the piles of text books until just now.

"You're in school?" He stated the obvious.

"Yeah."

"What are you studying?" He figured it was something impressive. If she was anything like Calleigh, it was difficult and scientific in nature.

"Medicine."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Medicine?"

"Girls can be doctors, too, you know?" He heard the sadness in her voice, the exasperation. "Or are you just surprised that someone like me can get it together enough to get into medical school?"

"I didn't mean to insinuate anything." He explained feeling guilty. "Really, I know…"

"No, I'm sorry." She cut him off. "I'm a little overly sensitive about the subject. I'm sure you understand. Still, I apologize for the outburst."

He guessed that this was a stereotype she ran into frequently, and wondered if Calleigh ever encountered the same kind of gender stereotype in her studies.

"Will you tell me about her?" She asked it quietly, almost reverently, as she rose from her chair, leaving her books forgotten on the table.

"What do you want to know?" He wasn't sure he felt comfortable discussing Calleigh with a complete stranger.

"What's she like? What does she do? Is she married? Kids? Anything."

He swallowed hard, and wished once more that none of this had ever happened. Of course, then his Catholic guilt got the best of him, and he regretted the thoughts immediately. He couldn't wish none of this had happened. That meant that he was wishing a young woman had never been born.

"She's…" Where was he supposed to begin. "Single."

Coralee's eyes lit up as he offered this morsel of information. She grabbed the tea from the refrigerator and poured herself a glass, then refilled his glass as well. "Can I get you anything else? Food? Coffee? I'll make you some coffee." She grabbed the container from the freezer, and deftly measured out the grounds.

He smiled involuntarily at her insistence and hospitality. Her facial expressions, her mannerisms, her southern hospitality. It was so much like Calleigh. Uncanny, really. She bit her bottom lip nervously, then took a sip of her tea. If Eric had ever had any questions regarding the nature versus nurture argument, the issue was resolved now. They had only half their DNA in common, and had never met before this day, but they were remarkable similar.

"Tell me about yourself." He asked.

"Um." She hesitated. "What's your name?"

"I'm sorry." He stood and offered her his hand. "I'm Eric. I'm a friend of Calleigh's from work." He left out the part about their relationship figuring Calleigh wouldn't like her personal life bandied around with a virtual stranger.

"Coralee." She shook his hand heartily. "It's nice to meet you." She eyed him carefully, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "And you're not just a friend of her's from work, are you?"

He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't think so." She smiled at him. "Good for her."

Eric wasn't sure what to make of the statement, or the young woman in front of him. "She went to Tulane." He offered, trying to change the subject.

"And majored in physics." Coralee finished for him. "I know all this. Tell me something real. What is she like…for real?"

How do you answer a question like that?

A/N: You probably don't like parts of this, but bear with me. I'm going somewhere with it. Reviews are like chocolate: a girl can never have too much!


	23. Edge of the Universe

A/N: Thanks for not flaming the last chapter. I hope you like this one, too.

Rather than answering the question, Eric tried to redirect the conversation elsewhere. "Where do you go to school?"

"Nova." She answered simply.

"What?"

"Nova Southeastern."

"Oh." He wasn't sure what else there was to say. "You like it?"

Coralee smiled, aware of his obvious discomfort. "Yeah, I do." She threw the poor guy a bone. He deserved a little help, in her opinion. "It's hard, but good, you know?"

He nodded, wracking his brain for something else to ask. "It's in Fort Lauderdale, right?" She nodded in assent. "That's pretty far."

Coralee shrugged a little and made a face. "Fort Lauderdale's expensive. I can have a nicer place here for way less cash. And the commute's not that bad. I tape my lectures and listen to them while I'm driving."

"How close to done are you?" Eric was grateful that Coralee was doing most of the talking. His brain had just about had it for the evening.

"I just started." She grinned wryly at him. "I'm a first year."

"Yeah?" Surprise was evident in his voice. "Do you know what specialty you want to do?"

"Not a clue, yet." She laughed. "It changes almost daily. I tend to like whatever I'm studying at the moment. It makes it easier to motivate myself to learn the stuff that way."

Eric laughed outright at that. It was a sentiment he really understood. He hadn't been all that interested in chemistry when he was in university, and her philosophical viewpoint would have been a great benefit to him back then.

Silence descended over them, and Eric took the opportunity to study her again. She had high cheekbones, the same hairline, and similar figure. She seemed to favor less makeup, but what she had on still accented her features nicely. He'd thought Calleigh had her mother's eyes, but clearly this was not the case. Coralee couldn't have inherited her eyes from Calleigh's mother as well. She sat quietly during his examination of her, but wondered silently what he was doing.

"You look just like her." He spoke softly.

"Yeah?" Coralee didn't mean to sound so pleased with his assessment.

Nodding, Eric continued his close appraisal of her apartment. There were bookshelves brimming with books, neatly aligned and arranged alphabetically and by subject. Eric smiled at the similarity.

"You went to Emory." He stated, noting the framed degree on the wall above the television. It held the place of honor, like it was the most important thing in her life. He also noted the conspicuous absence of any photographs of family or friends alongside the knick knacks.

"Yeah."

"What was your major?"

"Neuroscience and behavioral biology." She rose and went back to the kitchen. The coffee was done. Pouring a mug for herself and one for Eric, she bent her head down to look under the cabinets. "How do you like your coffee?"

"Black is fine."

Eric was truly impressed. "Sounds hard." He smiled. "And boring."

"It's complicated, but I like it." She smiled the first genuine smile that Eric had witnessed since she opened the front door. Speaking hesitantly, she asked a question. "She hates me, doesn't she? Not that I blame her, though."

She sounded lost and a little scared. Despite himself, Eric felt sorry for her. "She doesn't hate you." He wasn't sure he sounded convincing. "She's just upset."

Coralee didn't respond, only made a face. A face that Eric had seen so often in past years on Calleigh's face. "Are you okay?" He just realized that he hadn't even asked.

"Fine, why?"

"Your dad…you know."

"Oh." She was actually surprised. The shock of meeting her half-sister had far overshadowed the news of her estranged father's death. "Yeah. We weren't exactly close, you know?"

"Oh, no?" Eric was a little surprised at this. He knew how close Calleigh was to her father.

"Yeah." She stood, blatantly anxious. "I hadn't seen him in like…fourteen years."

"Really?"

"We moved when I was thirteen." She stopped pacing, but kept her back to him. "To Savannah. I haven't seen him since." She glanced at her watch for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"Am I keeping you from something?" Eric rose as he spoke.

"No, why?"

"You keep looking at your watch." He pointed to her wrist.

"I told you. If she's not back in fifteen minutes, I'm going looking for her. She has eight minutes left."

Eric was touched by her worry, but it turned out to not be necessary. His cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Clicking it open, he read the text message.

"Is she okay?" Coralee sounded genuinely concerned.

"Yeah." He rubbed his hand over the back of his head. "I've got to go."

"Here." She grabbed a pad of Post-it notes and a pen, scribbling something quickly. "Here." She held out a note to him. "If she changes her mind. You know. Wants to talk or something."

Eric looked at the note. It was her phone number. "Yeah." Eric folded the note awkwardly, and shoved it into his wallet. "It was nice meeting you."

Coralee extended her hand, and shook his firmly. "You, too." She smiled shyly and added, "Take care of her, okay?"

"Sure."

Eric walked back to the car, noticing that Calleigh was seated in the passenger seat. Walking around to the opposite side, he slid into the vehicle carefully, moving the seat back to make room for his longer legs. A quick glance at Calleigh told him everything he needed to know, so he exited the vehicle and walked around it once more. Opening the door and pulling her out, he leaned against the car and enveloped her in a hug, rubbing her back and murmuring soothing words in her ear.

"I can't believe I ran out." She derided herself.

"Hey." He tipped her head back to meet her eyes. "It's okay. Your entitled to feel, you know?"

"It's just so silly." She started to explain.

"Calleigh," Eric kissed her cheek. "You're allowed to feel emotion. You have to."

"I feel!" She protested.

"Calleigh, Honey you can't really experience happiness unless you're willing to feel pain, too." He thought for a moment. "Come on." He opened the car door again. "Get in. We're going somewhere."

"Where?" Curiousity instantly piqued.

"You'll see." He replied coolly.

"You passed the exit." Calleigh pointed behind them to the sign shrinking rapidly in the rearview mirror.

"No, I didn't." He smiled at her confusion.

"Eric, where are we going?" Her smile had grown with every mile they'd put between them and Coralee's apartment.

"Somewhere you'll like."

She accepted that he wasn't going to answer her, and sat back into the seat.

Eric brought the car to a stop in a dark neighborhood. "We're here."

"Where is 'here'?"

"Come on." He hopped out of the car, and waited for her to exit as well.

He laced his fingers through hers, and led her down an unlit path past a row of houses.

"The ocean." She whispered, wrapping the fingers of her other hand around his forearm. Her heels sank into the sand as they stepped onto the beach.

"I'm sorry." He helped her stand. "We can go."

"Go? Why?" She bent and removed her shoes. "We just got here."

They walked for a few minutes, hand in hand by the ocean. The repetitive lapping of the waves on the shore soothed Calleigh's nerves, calming her. "It was easier when I didn't know what she looked like."

"Easier, how?"

"I could just imagine what she was like, you know?" She laughed dryly. "It's silly, but I figured she was toothless and barefoot and dirty or something." She couldn't believe she'd voiced that aloud.

Eric wanted to remind her that they are related - that this vision of the girl was unlikely if only by virture of genetics, but he knew better. "But you know she has a degree." He released her hand, and then moved to wrap his fingers around her waist. "From a really good school, too."

"I know." She sighed. "Still, I just…she's not what I expected."

"Me, either." He agreed. He led her to a dry spot high on the sand and sat down, pulling her to sit between his legs. She leaned her back against him and relaxed.

She didn't speak again for a while. Finally, she broke the silence. "What did you all talk about?"

"Not much." He wasn't going to divulge too much, unsure of how Calleigh would react to the information he possessed.

"Like." She prompted.

"School. Stuff."

"And…"

Eric signed and sent a quick prayer to the heavens. "She's in medical school." Calleigh didn't respond. "Just started. Seems to like it."

The only sign that she heard him was a small nod.

"At Nova."

"Hmmm."

"Hey, Cal."

"Yeah, Eric." She tilted her head up to look him in the eyes.

"I'm really proud of you."

"Proud. Why?"

"What you did today." He kissed her. "It took guts. And it couldn't be easy."

She didn't respond, but rather looked up at the sky. "Look at the stars." She gasped.

He did, obediently, and gasped as well. "Pretty, isn't it?" Pointing, he added. "Look. The big dipper."

Calleigh laughed. "No." She moved his hand, effectively making him a human telescope. "That's the big dipper."

"Oh, yeah?" He moved and laid back into the sand.

"Yeah." She joined him, and pointed above them. "And there's Orion. And Cassiopeia. And Cepheus. And Aries. And Fornax."

"You know a lot about this." He observed.

"I took all the astronomy classes we offered."

"I didn't know that." He rolled over on his side to face her.

"Yeah." She was still staring at the sky. "I considered applying for graduate school after college. You know, get my doctorate. In astronomy."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever wish you had?"

She rolled onto her side to face him, and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Nope." She kissed him. "I'm right where I want to be."

He rolled her onto her back, laying half on top of her, and deepened the kiss.

R&R!

Author's Note:

I am in no way affiliated with Nova Southeastern University. I just needed a medical school in driving distance from Miami that wasn't IN Miami. It fit the bill. Also, I'm not affiliated with Post-It notes. Or any of the other brand name things I've mentioned in this story. I don't own any of the characters that feature prominently in the television show, either.


	24. Fragmented

Author's Note: I don't own most of the characters. I'm not getting paid anything to write this, and I don't have any money, so don't bother suing me. You'd pay more in court fees than you'd get from me, anyway.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ms. Duquesne." Horatio hollered as she passed by his office. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

Calleigh stopped dead and backtracked into his office. "Sure, Horatio. What can I do for you?"

"Ms. Duquesne." He absolutely hated to do this. "It's about the vacation time you asked for." He watched as her face fell for a brief second, then she regained her control and pasted a smile on her face. He felt horrible. "It turns out that Mr. Wolfe had turned in a request for the fifteenth through the twentieth. I'm sorry, I can't spare you both. I'm going to have to give you some days after Christmas instead."

Calleigh remained silent for a moment as she processed what was just said. "Horatio, I already bought the tickets."

"I understand, and I'm sorry, Calleigh, I really am." He stood and walked around the desk. Placing a gentle hand on her elbow, he apologized again. "I'll make it up to you. I understand this is an inconvenience."

She wanted to yell and scream at the unfairness of it, but he was her boss, and she was raised with some manners. So, instead she merely nodded. "Fine."

"Ms. Duquesne." Horatio tried to get her attention. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, H." She shook her head and smiled at him. "I've got to get to work, okay?" She pointed behind her with her thumb.

"Of course." He gestured for her to leave. "Of course."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

She was still fuming a little when Eric found her snapping photographs at a crime scene later.

"Hey, what've we got?" He knelt down to talk face to face.

"Single gunshot wound to the right upper thoracic quadrant." She moved some of the clothing aside with a gloved finger. "It went through and through. From the angle of entry, I'd say she was shot from below."

"So she was standing." Eric stated the obvious.

"Or standing on something." She pointed to the overturned end table.

"Hey." He lowered his voice. "You okay?"

"Horatio cancelled my time off." She forced through gritted teeth. "Now I have to eat the plane tickets and buy new ones."

"You don't get any time off at all?" He couldn't see Horatio doing that to anyone.

"No, I do." She sighed. "In January."

"I'm sorry, Cal." He really was.

She sighed and offered him a small smile. "It's okay. I understand. We're all overworked."

He rose to his feet, smiling tenderly down at her, then went off to collect evidence.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Eric had just finished changing clothes after work when his cell phone rang. "Hey."

The simple word brought an involuntary smile to Calleigh's face. She loved the sound of his voice. "Hey."

"What's up?"

"Nothing much." Geesh. Stall much, Duquesne?

It was Eric's turn to smile. She was nervous about something, and he could tell. She always stalled like this when she was anxious about something. "How was your day?" He asked a little patronizingly just to rile her up.

"I just got off the phone with Abuela."

"And how is she?"

Calleigh grinned. "She's good." Pausing, she took a deep breath. "I'm supposed to let you know that you're invited to the Walmond's house for Christmas. Well, really it's more like belated Christmas. Horatio gave me some vacation. January third through the tenth."

"Three Kings Day."

"What?" Calleigh was a little confused.

"Three Kings Day. January sixth. Also called Epiphany."

"Sure." She didn't sound that convinced. "Anyway." She continued. "I'm supposed to let you know. I know you probably won't be able to get those days off anyway, what with us being shorthanded and all, and you probably don't want to go all the way to Louisiana to spend a belated holiday – or epiphany or whatever – with people you don't even know. And plane tickets are really expensive now, what with airlines cutting back flights and fuel prices being ridiculous with the war and OPEC and everything, and…"

Eric let her ramble on until she ran out of steam. "Calleigh?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd love to go." He sounded genuine. "I'll see if I can get some time off, okay?"

She was silent. "Really?" She didn't sound like she believed him.

"Yeah. Really."

"Do you want to come over?"

"Yeah." His shoes were already on, and he was grabbing his jacket and keys when she asked. "I'll be there in a few."

"See you in a few?"

"You know it."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was over an hour before Eric walked up to Calleigh's front door. She was waiting for him when he arrived, sitting on the sofa with two mugs of tea.

"Chamomile?"

"Of course." She grinned at him, leaning over to kiss him hello.

"It's kind of girly, you know."

"Well, in case you hadn't noticed," she teased him. "I happen to be a girl." The look in her eyes was positively devilish.

"Actually," he pulled her into his lap. "I had noticed. It's one of my favorite things about you, in fact."

"Is it, now?" She teased him, her accent suddenly thickening. "And what else do you like?"

"So many things." He captured her lips with his. "But it's your car mostly. I love tiny cars."

She laughed into his mouth, and pulled back to look at him. "You're really going to come to Louisiana with me?"

"Of course. If H.'ll give me time off."

"It'll be tricky convincing him to give us both the same days off."

"I'll ask for some of the days. Probably fly out a day or so after you, fly back before you."

Calleigh gasped a little as she looked into his dark brown eyes. "You already bought a ticket, didn't you?"

"Maybe." He replied sheepishly.

"Have you talked to Horatio already?"

"Maybe." Truthfully, he'd called Horatio the as soon as he hung up from his conversation with Calleigh. Then, he'd booked his plane tickets. Everything was already in place...he wanted to make sure of it just in case she changed her mind.

Calleigh's mind was reeling as she tried to come up with the excuse that he most likely used. "How did you explain that one?"

"I told him that it was unfair to make me work on Christmas and Epiphany."

"He bought that?"

"I may have mentioned something about it being a major religious holiday, and since the shooting I was trying to reconnect more with God and my family."

"Eric! That's just…" There weren't words to describe this. She couldn't believe that he'd used his injury to get time off to visit her adopted grandparents.

"If it makes you feel any better, I don't think he bought it."

"Yeah, but you still…"

"Hey." He drew his hands down her sides to her waist. "I'm the one with bullet fragments in my brain. I might as well use them."

Her smile faded instantaneously at the mention of the remnants of his shooting. "Eric." She didn't know what to say.

"It's okay." He spoke softly. "I can talk about it."

"I just hate…I hate that you have to deal with that. That you had to go through that."

"Cal," He kissed her cheek tenderly. "I'm fine. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere."

"You better not." She murmured against his forehead, kissing him a few times. She still remembered the icy cold fear that had gripped her when he'd been in the hospital. In surgery. Recovery. Rehab. There were days back then that she wasn't sure she could continue living he didn't make it.

"I promise."

A/N: Short? Yes, but I still, I love reviews. You can make them short as a payback. It'll even things out. XOXO-Trish


	25. History and Science

Author's Note: You guys rock. 'Nuff said.

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Eric pulled into Calleigh's empty driveway the next day after work. She wasn't home yet; said she had to run a few errands after work. Walking up to the front door he paused for a second, and whipped out his phone.

"Duquesne."

"Calleigh," Eric questioned. "Do you have any idea why there's a tree on your front porch?"

"What kind of tree?"

"A tree, you know. Wood and leaves and bark and stuff."

"It's just sitting there?"

"Someone shipped it to you." He was inspecting the container.

"Honestly, Eric." She was intrigued. "I have no idea. Is there a shipping label or something."

"Let me see." He bent and examined the container. "Yeah, but only a shipping address, no return. There's a note. Do you want me to open it?"

"No, that's okay." She sat down. "I'll check it out when I get home. Grab some food or something if you're hungry. You know where everything is."

Eric smiled. He DID know where everything is. That simple fact made him a very happy man. "Will you be long?" It had been a very long day, and he really wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and fall asleep holding her, breathing in her scent, feeling her arms around him.

"Not too long. There's leftovers in the fridge. I made pasta primavera. ."

"Got it. See you."

"Bye."

Eric busied himself making salads and warming up the pasta. He grabbed a fork and tasted a mouthful. She really was an amazing cook – when she cooked. He rummaged through her drawers, but couldn't find anything other than sandwich bread, so he just sat the table instead. Shoving the salads back in the refrigerator, he sank down onto her sofa and assessed this situation at hand. He, Eric Delko, was in Calleigh Duquesne's apartment. Alone. But invited, this time. She knew he was there. She knew he had been in her cupboards. She was going to come home and find him in her house, sitting on her couch, watching her television, and drinking her beer – which he knew she only bought because he liked it. The thought warmed him.

He was almost through his first beer when he heard the front door open. Standing to greet her, he opened his arms.

"Hey." She sank into his embrace. "Does 'bad day' even begin to cut it?"

"No." Although his was rapidly looking brighter. He closed his eyes and rubbed her back, running his fingers through her silky hair. She always made him feel better. Her mere presence in a room lifted his spirits, and when they touched he had a tendency to forget the outside world existed. "Who's the tree from?" He asked, once a little bit of reality edged its way into his brain.

Calleigh pulled away and opened the envelope that had been enclosed with the shipping labels and tears welled up in her emerald eyes. "Oh."

Immediately on alert, Eric reached out both hands to her shoulders. "What's wrong? Who's it from?" His first thought was to wring Cooper's neck. If this was a remnant of that damned web site, he was going to…well he wasn't sure what he was going to do, but he was going to make sure it wasn't pleasant.

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Nothing." Opening her eyes she smiled at Eric through the tears. "Nothing's wrong."

He took the card she held out to him and read it after glancing once more at her now tear streaked face.

"_Liebchen, we know you've had a rough couple of weeks. We hope this helps. It's a cutting from your tree. Can't wait to see you. Love, Opa and Abuela."_

"I can't believe they did this."

"What's 'your tree'?" He asked as she wrapped her arms back around his waist.

"The tree Opa and I planted a long time ago in the garden." Her voice was muffled a little, and her breath tickled his neck. "It's a live oak."

Eric wasn't sure what to say. It was one thing for someone to send you flowers, but to send a whole tree just because they knew you were having a bad day – that was another dimension of love entirely. He found himself even more grateful for their compassionate influence on her childhood – and her life now.

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Plant it, of course." She laughed, kissing him on the lips. "Will you help?"

"Do you really need to ask?" He kissed her back, nipping teasingly at her throat.

"No, I guess not." The sound of her laughter filled him with happiness and peace. Yes, his bad day was much better now. "After dinner?" He waited for her to kick her shoes off, and directed her into the dining room without releasing his hold. "I've got everything ready."

Calleigh glanced around the dining room. The table was set, there was a fresh bouquet of flowers in her good crystal vase sitting on it, and she saw a nice bottle of wine in the ice bucket chilling. "Eric, you didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to." He kissed her forehead.

"You really are too good to me."

He tensed a little at that, and placed a finger under her chin, raising her eyes to meet his. "Not possible."

He said it with such conviction that it took her breath away for a few seconds. When she remembered to breathe again, she found that her throat was too choked up to speak, so she could only smile at him, eyes shining with new unshed tears.

"I mean it." He murmured into her mouth as she kissed him.

Calleigh wondered briefly what she'd ever done to deserve this wonderful man. He really treated her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever touched. The way he kissed her, held her – his lips and his grip all soft and warm and possessive – it was more than she'd ever really hoped for. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"For what?"

"Taking so long."

"You were only gone a coupld hours, Cal." He was a little confused.

"That's not what I meant." She knew he wouldn't press for details, and probably wouldn't understand that what she really meant to say was, _"I'm sorry for flirting with you for years and not making the next move_." Or _"I'm sorry for pushing you away for so long when you tried to be there for me."_ Or "_I'm sorry for not telling you how I feel earlier."_ _"I'm sorry for taking so long to admit to myself that you're more to me than just a good friend – let alone admit it to you."_ He wouldn't understand all of those things, and it irked her a little that she still couldn't bring her self to say them aloud. She could only tell him she was sorry – mysteriously and cryptically, and the whole thing was rather unsatisfying. She envied him the ability to open up and just express emotion, to tell her what he was thinking or feeling. She was working on it, though, and she hoped that someday she'd get there. She just hoped he was still around when she arrived.

"I'll get the salads." He pulled her chair out for her. "You sit."

"What errands did you have to run?" He asked once they were both eating.

"Hair cut. Girl stuff." She didn't offer too many details.

Eric paused his motions, fork halfway to his mouth, and stared at her. "I'm going to be honest with you, Cal. Is this one of those things where I'm supposed to automatically know you cut your hair, because honestly, I can't tell. I'm sorry. It still looks long and…"

"No." She laughed aloud, but wondered why he was so antsy about the subject. It was just hair. "I just got it trimmed. If you can't tell, then they did it right."

He visibly relaxed, but knitted his brow again. "What girl stuff?"

"Just stuff, you know." She shrugged, not really wanting to explain the details of pedicures and bikini waxes. "To make you pretty."

"But you ARE pretty." He was such a guy. "You don't need that stuff." He assumed she'd gotten a facial or something. "You're gorgeous."

Calleigh's heart fluttered in her chest, and she dropped his gaze. It wasn't the first time she'd been called gorgeous or beautiful or pretty. Hell, it wasn't even the first time Eric had called her gorgeous. But every time he said it, he said it so…purposefully – his eyes held such sincerity – that felt like giggling. He made her feel like a teenage school girl sometimes, with butterflies and everything. It had been a long time since a man had given Calleigh butterflies. She decided that she rather liked the feeling, but blushed all the same.

"You are, you know." He reached out and grabbed for her hand, noting the reddish tinge her face had acquired.

"Yeah, well." She tried to play it off. "You're not so bad yourself."

He grinned at her, wide and pleased with himself. He could still make Calleigh Duquesne blush!

After dinner, she changed clothes and searched her laundry room for gardening supplies.

"Calleigh, you do realize that we're going to need something larger than a trowel to plant this thing, right?" He held up the tool she'd handed him like it was a toy.

"It's all I've got. We'll have to make due."

He quirked an eyebrow at her and made a face.

"What?" She laughed and grabbed the trowel from him. "It's not like I plant trees every day. Usually just flowers and stuff. I'll dig the hole, geesh."

He snatched the offendingly small lawn care implement from her and sauntered out to the back yard. "Where do you want it?" He called.

"Over there." She pointed to a spot a ways away from the pool. "It'll get pretty big, so it can't be too close to the house."

She sat on the deck and propped her feet up, watching him work. She gazed at him approvingly and raised both of her eyebrows when he looked at her. Grinning, she called out, thickening her accent for effect. "Sight of a good lookin' man working does my poor heart good!"

He returned the grin, turned his back to her putting his "best side forward," so to speak, and continued digging. Calleigh remained seated, and just enjoyed the view.

After he'd cleaned up and they were curled up together on her sofa, he brushed her hair out of her eyes and squeezed her gently. "They, uh…they really love you, huh?" He was referring, of course, to her grandparents.

Taking a deep breath, she sighed. "Yeah. I think they do."

"I'm looking forward to meeting them." He wasn't lying – he really was.

"They can't wait to meet you, either." Abuela kept prying Calleigh for details. What was he like? What did he look like? Is he good enough to you? She smiled at the thought of their concern. Sometimes, even though she would never admit it, it was nice to be fussed over.

"How cold will it be when we're there?" He was a sunshine child, and wasn't sure how to pack for cold weather.

"It'll be in the forties or fifties during the day, probably. It gets pretty cold at night. Think twenties or thirties, probably. Pack a warm coat." She turned her head a little to look at him. "Do you have a warm coat?"

"Yes." He feigned offense. "I have a warm coat. I just don't need it much here."

"Okay. Bring old shoes, too." She cautioned. "Opa will probably take you out hiking with him." She winced a little, hoping he wouldn't mind the interrogation he was sure to receive – from both of them.

"Relax." He chucked when he felt her tense. "I know I'm going to have to answer some questions. Don't worry. I make a good first impression." He wasn't quite as confident as he sounded; these people were very important to Calleigh, and he guessed that their opinion meant a lot to her as well. Hopefully, he wouldn't stick his foot in his mouth and say something stupid. "Tell me about them." He invited, hoping he could glean something useful from her descriptions.

"Well, Opa used to be the science teacher at the high school. He's retired now." She adjusted so she was facing him. "He's from Germany, a city called Würzburg. He immigrated here in 1950, but he'd been living in Mexico since 1941. His family fled during the war. He was eighteen, and about to be drafted into the army. He met and married Abuela in 1947, and they've been married ever since."

"Why did they go to Mexico?" He was surprised that they didn't move to America.

"His uncle had a business there. A farm, I think. It was pretty big, and I think they were pretty rich. Anyway, his uncle paid for him to go to college in America, and that's how he ended up in Louisiana."

"What about your Abuela?"

"She's an artist." Calleigh smiled nostalgically. "Paints, mostly, but she does sketches sometimes, too. She's amazing."

"Tell me about her." The shift in Calleigh's facial expression did not go unnoticed by Eric. "What kind of stuff did you two used to do?"

She smiled again. "Garden. She taught me to garden. She loves flowers and plants. She taught me how to cook and bake. She tried to teach me how to sew, but I have no talent for that at all!"

Eric laughed quietly at the thought. He just couldn't picture Calleigh bent over a sewing machine with straight pins held between her lips trying to match up seams and put in zippers.

"We used to sit on the porch for hours while she painted." She turned again in his arms and extended her legs onto the sofa, moving so her head was pillowed on his abdomen and her arm was wrapped around his middle. "She'd have me mix the colors for her, and she'd teach me Spanish. When she was done for the day we'd have hot chocolate – Mexican hot chocolate. You know, all thick and delicious? Never the American kind. Never the instant kind."

Eric was playing with her hair now, and she knew she'd be asleep in a few minutes if he didn't quit. He knew exactly how to get her to relax.

"They sound really special." He spoke softly, knowing she was almost out for the night. "Let's get you to bed." He urged her to sit, and then half carried her to the bedroom.

"Do I need to bring them stuff, too?" He asked when they were snuggled under the covers. He was referring to her insistence that she bring gifts to his parent's house for Thanksgiving. He didn't want to appear rude – that wouldn't help with the first impression.

"If you want." Her voice was soft and far away.

"Sleep." He whispered, kissing her. "We'll talk more tomorrow."

"Mmmmh." She was already out.

A/N: You know the drill.


	26. Por Siempre

Author's Note: I'm so pleased that you all liked chapter 25. I hope you similarly enjoy this one. Feel free to let me know what you think! Also, you guys are getting really good at reading my mind. It's uncanny, really.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The few short weeks until Calleigh's vacation passed quickly. She was practically humming with excitement as she packed. It had been a long time since she'd spent the holidays with her grandparents. She knew her parents loved her, but somehow, the love of these two elderly individuals always seemed more real, more tangible. Eric wandered into her bedroom holding up a stuffed shopping bag.

"What's all this?"

"Presents."

"They're not wrapped." He teased. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"Can't wrap 'em." She continued folding clothes. "Airport security will just unwrap them. Then it's just a waste of perfectly good wrapping paper."

He nodded at her logic, and went to place the bag in his car.

Calleigh smiled. It hadn't been that long since Eric had helped her pack and driven her to the airport the last time. This trip, though, was a completely joyous occasion. She reached into her closet and grabbed a few sweaters, and remembered the conversation she'd had with Horatio a few weeks ago. They were at a crime scene, and she had been collecting bullet casings.

"_Ms. Duquesne, what can you tell me?"_

"_Pretty standard. Winchester 9mm casings, nothing special." She closed the envelope and stood. "I'll get them back to the lab and dust for prints, see what I can find out." She watched for him to nod._

"_So, Ms. Duquesne." He started. "Do I owe you anything else?"_

"_Owe me?" She stilled her motions, confused by his words._

"_Your vacation time." He supplied. "How did I do? I said I would make it up to you." _

_To say Calleigh was surprised – and a little confused – would not have covered it. She saw the knowing gleam in his eye, though, and suddenly realization dawned on her. He knew. He knew about them, her and Eric. Crap. This can't be good._

"_Enjoy your holiday, Ms. Duquesne." He ended the conversation by walking away; leaving her standing, mouth agape. No one rendered Calleigh Duquesne speechless, but it appeared that Horatio had succeeded in doing just that. _

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"I'll pick you up tomorrow." She hugged him as he dropped her off at the airport.

"Have a safe flight." He wished her, although he wondered why he bothered. It's not like she had anything to do with the safety or lack thereof of any flight.

"Bye." She kissed him once more, gathered her luggage, and walked through the automatic doors of the airport to go stand in line.

Calleigh arrived in Jackson, Mississippi to a vastly different reception than she had her previous trip. Waiting just outside the "only ticketed passengers beyond this point" sign stood both her grandparents, waving exuberantly to her. Hugging them both hello, she couldn't believe her luck. It seemed as though her days of waiting were over.

"I can't believe that you're here!" She exclaimed.

"Where else would we be?" Opa questioned, kissing both of her cheeks.

"I just have to collect my bags, and then I'll be ready to go." She linked arms with Abuela and walked to find her luggage.

"So." Abuela started once they were whizzing down the highway. "Tell me more about this Eric of yours."

Calleigh blushed at the mention of Eric as "hers." "What do you want to know?" She was being evasive, and they knew it.

"Where's he from?"

"Miami."

"And he treats you right? He's good to you?" Opa always asked. He couldn't be too careful about who was spending time with his Liebchen.

"He's wonderful, I promise. You guys will love him."

"I've no doubt of that." Abuela patted her shoulder from the backseat of the car.

"Thanks for coming to get me. I could have rented a car, though. Really."

"After all these years, do you still think you are an imposition in our lives?" Warrener would have grabbed her hand, but he was driving.

"What time is he arriving tomorrow?"

"His flight lands at 8:17pm."

"You take the car and get him. We'll meet him later." Apparently they had it all worked out.

"You don't mind the mileage?" Always polite, she had to at least make a pretense of arguing even though she knew she'd lose.

"Mi hija!" Abuela cried out. "Stop that."

"Thank you." She turned her head away to look out the window and smiled. It was good to be home.

"Tomorrow you relax." Opa instructed her. "Sunday we get the tree."

"You didn't get a tree for Christmas?" Calleigh was incredulous.

"We told you, dear, our Christmas is with you. When you are here." Maitea urged her to believe them. "Then Monday we cook." She finished her husband's itinerary.

"Tuesday is our Christmas, then just fun for the rest of your visit."

"Sounds like a plan!"

"Your rooms are all ready for you." Calleigh did not miss the plurality of the statement, but knew better than to argue this point.

They chatted about mundane things all the way home. Calleigh was fairly brimming with excitement; she was so thrilled to be back with them. These two were the first people in her life to love her in a way she recognized as love. They cared about her; her safety, her health, her emotional well-being. The only other person she'd ever felt that loved and…safe…with was…Eric.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Liebchen." Opa called from the front door. "Liebchen, it's getting late. You should leave if you're going to make it on time."

"I'm almost ready." She called from upstairs. She wasn't sure why she was taking all this extra time getting ready. He saw her everyday – he'd seen her yesterday even. For some reason, she just couldn't get her hair right. Her makeup didn't work out, and she couldn't find a sweater that she liked. The red one accented her…assets…nicely. The blue one was his favorite color. Throwing her hands up in frustration she grabbed the purple one that always made her eyes look the brightest emerald green. Besides, she liked the deep v-neck, and she was pretty certain he wouldn't object either.

Grabbing her coat and purse, she skipped down the stairs, and took the keys from Opa's outstretched hand.

"You look beautiful, Liebchen. Don't worry." He whispered as he hugged her goodbye. "Drive carefully."

"I will." She kissed them both, and flew out the door.

"I am so glad to see you!" Eric squished her against him tightly.

"Eric. Eric." She tried twice to get his attention. "I can't breath."

"Sorry." He loosened his grip.

"How was the flight?"

"Fine."

"You sounded upset."

"Yeah, well." He shuffled from side to side nervously. "I missed you."

The admission made her heart melt again, despite the chilly weather. "I missed you, too." She half-whispered, shocked to realize that she had. It had barely been twenty-four hours, but she had. It was surprising, but in a good way.

"You look great." He kissed her on the lips, the kind of greeting a sailor gives his girlfriend after a six month deployment.

Calleigh was pleased with her choice of sweater now. She made a mental note to wear it more often.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Any last words of advice?" He halted her movements with a hand on her arm.

"Just be yourself, Eric. Honest." She hadn't seen the nervous look in his eyes until just now. It hadn't occurred to her that he would be anxious about meeting them. "Eric, I promise. You have nothing to worry about. They're going to love you."

"Yeah?" He was unconvinced.

"Yes. Really."

"How can you be so sure?" He truly was nervous; he had that anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach just like the one he used to get before a big swim meet.

"Because I do." She gasped when she realized what she'd just said, and literally jumped out of the car. Crap. Crap. This was not what she had in mind.

Eric didn't catch what she'd said immediately – actually he wouldn't fully process it until later that night as he was drifting off to sleep. He only sighed and grabbed his luggage from Calleigh's hands, and followed her up to the front door.

"Abuela." He called out to the quite house. "Opa?"

There was rustling from upstairs, and Eric watched as a tiny Hispanic woman descended the stairs gracefully.

"You must be Eric." She ignored his outstretched hand and hugged him warmly. "We've heard so much about you; it's good to finally meet you. Warrener is out in the shed. He'll be in shortly." She grabbed their hands and led them into the kitchen. "Have you eaten? You must be famished." She opened the refrigerator without waiting for an answer from either of them. "I have rouladen and kartoffel klöße."

"Sounds great." Calleigh smiled as Eric turned to her, eyebrows raised in question. "Stuffed beef and potato dumplings." She answered his unspoken question quietly.

He made a face of approval. "Can't wait."

"Do you like German food?" Abuela stopped for a moment, concerned that her guest would be displeased with the fare.

"I've had sauerkraut on my hotdogs." He smiled at her, and Maitea was struck by his good looks. For a second, she allowed herself to see a little girl; four years old and running around the house happily. Only this girl had brown hair and dark eyes, not blonde hair and green. She smiled sweetly at the young man at her table.

"Well, there is more to German food than sauerkraut, mi hijo." She assured him, dishing out food onto plates to heat in the microwave.

"Well, I like food, and I've never really found too much I don't like." Calleigh smiled at his assessment. It was true. She'd been privy to his eating habits long enough to know he was being completely honest.

Maitea was quickly shown how truthful he'd been as well. A smile graced her features as she watched him dig into his meal heartily.

"This is delicious, Mrs. Walmond." He complimented her cooking.

"Mi estimado," She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You call me Maitea. No formalities here. You're as good as family."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Calleigh was up early the next morning, dressed and having coffee with Abuela when Eric came down the stairs.

"Good morning, ladies." He greeted, them, shushing Calleigh when she rose to pour coffee into the waiting mug on the counter. "I've got it." He poured the coffee and bent at the waist near Calleigh before remembering he had an audience and just dropping into his chair.

"Go ahead." Maitea urged him. "Displays of affection are allowed in this house."

Eric and Calleigh both blushed at her implication, but Eric nodded and leaned over to kiss Calleigh good morning anyway.

"Did you sleep well?" Calleigh's face was as red as a beet as she inquired about his night. She hadn't slept well herself, not used to being alone in a bed. It felt to cold, too empty without Eric beside her.

"Very well. You?" He hadn't, but had the sense to lie about it. He, too, was unaccustomed to falling asleep without Calleigh. He found the whole situation unsatisfying. His arms were empty, he missed her scent. He even missed her hair tickling his face. He just missed…her.

"Fine."

"Well, Liebchen," Warrener came into the kitchen. "We better get going."

"Where are we going?" Eric turned to Calleigh and asked.

"Not 'we.'" She corrected. "Opa and I. We're going to get a Christmas tree. It's our tradition." He looked at her with alarm, concerned about being left alone all day to Maitea's interrogation techniques. "You'll be fine." She assured him, patting his hand.

"I'll get my stuff. Just give me a minute." She swallowed the last of her coffee in one gulp, and dashed upstairs to get ready.

"Behave yourself." She whispered into his ear as she kissed him goodbye. "You'll be fine." She hugged Abuela and left with Warrener.

"Eric." Maitea patted his arm and walked back into the kitchen. "It is okay, you can relax." She'd seen the look of fear in his eyes when Calleigh left, and she was happy to see it. This was a man who felt. He had emotion, and he felt it. He let Calleigh know what he was feeling, too, and that made her very grateful. Calleigh was far too skilled at concealing her emotions. She needed a man who would carefully draw her outside of herself, allow her to feel without being ashamed.

"Eric," She started again. "Tell me about Calleigh."

He was surprised at her request. "About Calleigh?"

"Yes." She repeated. "Tell me about Calleigh. Is she happy?"

"Calleigh," He sighed. "She's a very cheerful person."

Maitea sat at the table beside him and pushed a plate of eggs and sausage to him. "I know she's cheerful. That is an act. She is very good at covering how she feels."

"She's a pro." He agreed. "She's not happy all the time." Their job was not one that lent itself to a constant, carefree existence. "But I think that fundamentally she's pretty happy."

Maitea nodded silently, satisfied with his answer.

They chatted for a while longer, when Maitea dropped a big one. "Do you love her?"

He didn't even hesitate. "I do." He replied solemnly.

Maitea's heart nearly burst at his affirmation. "Have you told her this?"

"No." He felt ashamed, but couldn't bring himself to lie to Calleigh's grandmother.

"Why not?"

"I don't think she's ready to hear it yet." The honest, open look in his eyes told Maitea that he was telling her the truth. She knew he was right. Calleigh's heart was nothing if not guarded. "Well, she might be now." He amended, remembering her words from the previous evening.

"Come with me." She rose and walked up the stairs, down the hall, and into her bedroom. Lifting the lid of an old, carved wooden box. She rooted around for a moment, looking for something. "What did you get her?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"For Christmas. What did you get her?"

"A new laser sight for her 9mm." He knew she'd been drooling over it for a few months.

Maitea turned and frowned at him disapprovingly.

"And a pair of earrings." He added quickly, worried that he'd just lost points as Calleigh's potential suitor.

"What kind?" She was less displeased now.

"Pearls." He answered. "With little diamonds on them."

She nodded silently, and withdrew something he couldn't see from the box.

"Are you going to marry my little girl?" She asked gravely.

"If she'll have me." The thought of marrying Calleigh always made him giddy, lightheaded.

"Give her this when you ask her." She held out her hand to him.

He reached out, and she dropped something into his upturned palm. Gasping, he stared open mouthed. "It's beautiful." It was, too. It was a ring – a yellow gold band with a beautiful princess cut diamond flanked by two smaller diamonds. It was simple and elegant, and exactly the kind of ring he'd dreamed of giving her. He stared at it, turning it carefully as it caught the light of the room and cast rainbows on the walls.

"Are you sure?" He didn't feel right taking it from her. "It must be valuable to you."

"My Calleigh is valuable to me." She clasped his hands in hers. "Please. If you love her as much as you say you do, do this one thing for me. It would do my heart good to know she has it. It should stay in the family. The diamond, the large one in the center. It was my grandmother's. Warrener added the two others forty years ago. I want her to have it. If you don't like the setting, feel free to pick a new one."

Eric was speechless at this gesture. This woman, a virtual stranger to him, was entrusting him with a family heirloom in the hopes that her non-biological granddaughter would someday wear it. "Are you sure? What if she says no?"

"She won't." She shut the jewelry box, ending the conversation. "What do you think of children?" Maitea pulled no punches. She liked to get right to the point.

Eric did a remarkably good job at hiding his surprise to this question. "I love them. I'd love to have some of my own someday."

She seemed to accept his answer, and left the room. "Come." She ordered. "I need you to get some things out of the attic."

A/N: That's your cue.


	27. Static Cling

Eric pocketed the ring, amazed at the generosity of Calleigh's grandmother.

The sound of the old Buick chugging up the driveway called the attention of both Eric and Maitea to the kitchen window. He rose and watched for a moment as Calleigh brushed off Warrener's assistance and struggled with the tree herself, trying to unload it off the top of the vehicle. Leaving his coat hanging on the hook by the door, he dashed outside to help her before she got injured under the weight.

"Here." He offered. "Let me."

"I can get it." She argued a little with him.

"Sure." He consented. "But I want to help."

He deftly untied the tree, and easily heaved it down, nodding to Calleigh for her to go ahead and pick up the light end.

"We have to leave it in the mud room overnight." She helped him lean the tree against a corner. "The heat inside will shock it if it doesn't acclimate a little."

This was news to Eric, but then again, he grew up in Miami. Cold wasn't really an issue there.

"Did you have fun?" She asked him when they were alone.

"We had a nice talk." He was unwilling to divulge the contents of the conversation. It was too personal, too exciting, and he had yet to decide exactly what he was going to do with the…information.

"She's great, huh?" Calleigh leaned her head against his shoulder. The personal contact was nice. She'd missed him the past few days. "I should warn you then, you're probably going hiking with Opa tomorrow while Abuela and I cook."

"I can help you cook." He wasn't necessarily trying to weasel his way out of whatever 'talk' Warrener was no doubt going to have with him. Truthfully, he also just missed spending time with Calleigh. If he wasn't going to get to hold her at night, he decided that he wanted to spend as much time with her as possible during the day.

"That's probably not going to be an option." She grinned at him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "Wanna go for a walk with me?"

"Of course."

"It's not that bad. Get your coat."

That night Eric was tossing in his bed, half asleep when he felt a cold hand reach around his back and come to rest on his rib cage. Finally awake, he rolled over and gathered her in his arms. "You allowed to be in here?" He wanted her there, but had no intention of offending his hosts – especially not since they seemed to approve of him so far.

"I can't sleep."

"Me, either."

"I'll go in the morning." She moved closer into his arms. "Just let me sleep here for a while."

Not really in a position to object, he dusted her face with kisses and closed his eyes.

"You're cold." Her skin was cool - cold even - to the touch.

"I didn't have my furnace." She teased. The old house was drafty, but she was certain that Eric could keep her warm.

"Hey, Eric." He heard her whisper in the darkness.

"Mmmhmm." Came his sleepy reply.

"I forgot to tell you. Horatio knows."

"I know." His eyes were still closed. "He had a 'talk' with me after you left."

"He did?" She couldn't imagine what would have been exchanged during that conversation.

"He cares about you, ya know?" Eric chuckled. She was so stubborn. "He just wants to make sure you're okay." The chat had been anything but comfortable – for either man – but they both cared for Calleigh enough to undertake it.

"_Mr. Delko, may I see you in my office, please?" _

"_Sure thing, H." He didn't think much of it. They were working a case together, so he figured it had something to with that. When Horatio asked him to shut the door and take a seat, he started getting nervous. _

"_Mr. Delko." Horatio began, then paused. "It has come to my attention that you…are involved in a relationship with someone in the lab." It was kind of mean, but he was going to see how he reacted, if he'd man up and admit it or try to deny something Horatio already knew to be true._

"_I am." He nodded. "It doesn't effect my work or hers, so I don't see how it's an issue."_

"_You are aware of the pending rule regarding interdepartmental fraternization." It was not a question._

"_I'm aware that it's still pending." He quit there, but mentally that thought continued. "And I'm aware that I got shot in the head and I'm not going to sit around forever and wait for someone else to snatch her up."_

"_Calleigh, as you know," Horatio walked back around to his chair and sat down. "Is a very dear person to all of us here." Typical Horatio. Deny any actual connection to a human being. _

"_Yeah, well, she's pretty special to me, too."_

"_Mr. Delko," Horatio was pleased with his responses so far. "Calleigh isn't one of your usual girls that"_

"_H." Eric cut him off before he got a chance to finish the sentence. "I'm serious about this. Honest." And Eric had been worried about her grandparents. Apparently her boss was a bit protective, too. "No games here. I'm not that guy any more."_

_Horatio was silent for a while. "I can see that." He paused again. "You two be good to each other." He looked at Eric somberly._

"_I'll treat her right, H." Eric had to laugh. _

"_I know you will." He rose and shook the younger CSI's hand. "I know you will."_

True to her word, when Eric awoke the next morning he was alone. Something smelled amazing as it wafted up the stairs and into the room. He showered quickly, and headed down to the kitchen to see what was cooking – literally. Calleigh and Abuela were hard at work already, and the place was a mess. Calleigh was chopping vegetables and layering them carefully in a circular pattern on a platter.

"Christmas Eve salad?" He asked, hugging her from behind.

"Yeah." She tipped her head up and kissed him 'hello.'

"Eric, would you like some breakfast?" Maitea ushered him to the table.

"You're really busy." He tried to object. "You really don't have to – okay." His protests died on his lips as she extracted a plate from the oven and sat it in front of him.

"It's still warm."

He dug into the cheesy arroz con huevos, eyes half closing in contentment. "This is amazing." He complemented Maitea.

"Don't look at me." She pointed to her cooking companion. "Calleigh made it."

She smirked at him a little as he stared at her in disbelief. "Yes, I can cook, too." She teased good-naturedly.

"I know." He took another bite. "You've just never made this before. For me." He was going to dig himself into a hole if he didn't stop soon.

"I have many hidden talents." She dropped her head by his ear and whispered that part seductvely, making him shudder involuntarily. "I can't divulge all of them yet."

He coughed a little, choking on his breakfast and took a sip of the orange juice that had appeared beside his plate.

After he finished his breakfast, Warrener fetched him to help set up the tree in the living room. It took some doing, but they finally got it standing straight and on it's own.

"Young man, what do you say we go for a walk outside?"

Eric knew it was coming, but still, he wasn't looking forward to it. At least she'd warned him. "Absolutely."

They walked silently until they reached a little creek, where they turned to parallel the stream. It was only then that Warrener broke the silence.

"My kleines Mädchen is very fond of you."

"I'm fond of her as well."

"She is very important to us."

"I'm glad." He looked at the older gentleman walking with him. "I've been meaning to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"For taking care of her. You know – when she was a kid. At her dad's funeral."

Warrener only nodded, not responding verbally for a while. It was several minutes before he spoke again in his softly accented English. "Has Calleigh told you about how we met?"

Eric shook his head. "No, never."

Warrener paused again, remembering that fateful day so may years ago. "It was raining. Storming." He corrected. "Have you ever been in a Louisiana thunder storm?"

Eric just shook his head.

"_Mama!" Little Calleigh cried as the storm. "Mama, open the door." She pounded on the door, and tried the handle again, but it didn't budge. "Mama!" She shrieked as a bolt of lightening flashed and thunder crashed above her. "Mama!" Thunder and lightening crashed again, and the little girl did the only thing she knew. She ran, crying as she went._

"_Mama." She sobbed, falling in the now slippery mud. She tripped and fell again, but the storm continued raging above her, so she pulled herself up and continued running. _

"_Warrener!" Maitea called. "Come look at this, quickly!" _

_Warrener rushed onto the porch where his wife was painting. "What's the matter?" He heard the concern in her voice, and was worried that she was injured. _

"_Look at that." She pointed to the line of trees along the main road. _

"_What?" He wasn't sure he knew what to look for, but a little flash of red broke in between the trees, then disappeared again. _

"_Is it a person?" _

_They watched for a moment longer, and then Maitea gasped, grabbing her husband's arm. "Warrener. It's a child."_

"_In this storm?" He couldn't imagine a small child being out in weather like this. He took off into the rain after the little red streak. _

_Foot catching on a tree root, Calleigh fell face first on the muddy ground. "Mama!" She sobbed, close to giving up. _

_Warrener sprinted across the road, and scooped up the little trembling bundle into his arms. "It will be okay." He tried to calm the near hysterical child. "You'll be all right." He ran back into the house and deposited the small girl into Maitea's waiting arms. _

"_I am going to go clean her up." She rushed upstairs to the bathroom, Warrener trailing close behind. He weaved around her into the bathroom and started the water running, so it would get warm. _

_Maitea sat on the toilet seat and rubbed the shaking little girls arms swiftly to warm her. "What's your name, sweetie?" She recognized the girl, but didn't know her name. _

"_Ca-Calleigh." Her teeth were chattering so much she could barely speak. _

"_Well, my name is Maitea, and this is my husband Warrener." She hugged the child to her. "And you're safe now. We'll take care of you."_

_Warrener motioned that he was going to leave, closing the door behind him. Maitea quickly gave Calleigh a bath, scrubbing her clean until her skin was pink and warm again. She wrapped her in towels, and carried her into the bedroom, grabbing a big tee shirt for the small girl to wear. It hung below her knees, but at least it was something. _

"_Here." She handed the little girl a blanket, and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Would you like some hot chocolate?" _

_Calleigh nodded and sniffled. "Yes." She was a little uncertain. _

_Maitea hoisted Calleigh onto her hip and carried her downstairs, deposting her on a kitchen chair. "Warrener, will you get her clothes and put them in the washer?"_

_He nodded, and disappeared back up the stairs. _

_Half an hour later, Calleigh was bundled in a blanket and sitting happily on Maitea's lap and sipping her hot chocolate as Warrener entertained her with old German fairy tales. Maitea was rebraiding her long blonde hair, enjoying the feeling of a child in the home again. _

"Wow." Eric was shocked. That must have been a very traumatic day for Calleigh. He understood a little now why she shook so much during thunderstorms. "Why was the door locked?" He wanted to know why Calleigh couldn't get into her own house – why this had to happen to her.

"We never found out." Warrener's voice was sad as he talked to Eric.

"What did her parents have to say?" Eric was not a fan of either one of Calleigh's parents at the moment.

"We called her father's law firm." Warrener assured him. "Told him his daughter was here. He said he'd be by after work to get her."

_Once Calleigh's clothes were washed and dried, Maitea took her back upstairs to get her dressed again. Then they'd gone out to the porch to watch the storm as it sounded overhead._

"_That sound, Liebchen," Warrener began. "The thunder can't hurt you." _

"_It's loud." She was shaking a little, chilly in her red dress. _

_Warrener lifted the little girl onto his lap and pointed to the sky. "The lightening is just static. Like in the winter when you touch something and it makes a spark." _

_Calleigh was too little to really remember static discharge from the previous winter. _

"_It's very important," Warrener patted her cheeks. "When it's storming like this, you must not go outside. And you have to stay away from tall things like trees. You could get hurt." _

_She nodded solemnly, eyes wide. "I will. I promise." _

_When no one had come to collect her by dinner, Maitea set an extra place at the table, and the three of them had their first meal together. Calleigh had overcome her shyness and chatted happily about her family and her life. _

"_What's that?" She pointed to an object on a high shelf in the living room. _

"_This is a telescope." He brought it down off the shelf for her to examine. "It's very old." It had been his father's. It was one of the few things they brought with them when they fled Germany. _

"_What's it for?" _

"_To look at the stars." _

"_Can I see?"_

"_We have to wait for a night with no clouds." He patted her head. "You come over on a clear night, and we'll look at the stars."_

"_Really?"_

"_Really." _

_No one came to pick up Calleigh by eight o'clock, either, and the Walmond's were livid. How someone could just leave their child with strangers and not care was beyond them. Maitea saw that Calleigh was getting sleepy, so she took her back upstairs, had her change back into the big tee shirt, and put her to bed._

"Did her father ever show up?" Eric's heart was breaking for Calleigh. If parents would do that to a four year old, he could only imagine the kind of neglect she'd put up with as an older child.

"Late." Warrener nodded. "Past eleven. Drunk."

Eric raised his eyebrows, but said nothing. It didn't surprise him.

"I wouldn't let him taker her." Warrener remembered. "I couldn't risk him crashing the car and killing that little angel."

"What did he do?"

"He threatened to have us arrested and then sue us for kidnapping, but Maitea convinced him to sleep on the couch. He drove her home in the morning."

"_You come back and see us!" Maitea hugged her goodbye warmly and tucked a bag of cookies into her arms. _

"_I will." Calleigh nodded and hugged her back. She liked these people. _

_She walked back to the house that same day, and Maitea took her out to the garden to plant some bulbs in the garden. When they were done, Warrener and Calleigh planted a tree on the edge of the garden. _

"_This is your tree." Warrener informed her. "You have to come back and water it every day. You have to take care of your flowers, too. Maitea has enough to do, she shouldn't have to take care of your flowers as well." _

"_I will." She promised him. _

"That's the tree you sent her?" Eric understood now why she was so touched by the gesture. It was literally a link to her childhood – at least the happy parts of it.

"I make cuttings every year and plant them." He nodded.

"We had a son once." Warrener's voice sounded pained. "He died the spring before we met Calleigh. It was a car accident."

"I'm so sorry."

He nodded, and continued. "Having Calleigh around, a little one running through the house again, laugher. It was good for us. We needed that. Someone to focus our attention on, rather than focus on the grief."

Eric had no response for this.

"The picture. In the living room. With the forest and the storm." Something just occurred to Eric. "I thought it was Little Red Riding Hood or something." In between the trees Eric had noticed a subtle flash of red. It made sense now.

"It's Calleigh." Warrener confirmed. "Maitea painted it that night. She is very important to us." He repeated.

"I know." Eric had only an inkling of what she meant to them before, but he was beginning to understand now. "She's very important to me, too."

Warrener nodded, satisfied with the young man in front of him.

They turned back, and headed to the house.

"Ladies." Warrener greeted them as they entered. They were still elbows-deep in pie filling and turkey stuffing, the cooking not even close to completed.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Eric offered.

"You can help me string lights on the tree."

The dishes were cleaned up and put away, and the tree was decorated. Eric was amazed at the little wooden ornaments.

"Opa carves them." Calleigh looked over his shoulder as he admired one, kneeling by the box. "And Abuela paints them."

"They're amazing." He was awed at the detail. She took it from him and hung it on the tree.

It was so perfect – the whole evening. They decorated the tree together, had cookies and coffee, and relaxed on the sofa to talk. He came back into the living room after washing their mugs out to find the room basically deserted. Calleigh was standing beside the tree, looking out the window. The lights from the Christmas tree bathed her in an ethereal glow, reflecting off her hair like a halo. He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She'd heard him enter the room, and didn't startle when she felt his hands inch around her shoulders, pulling her against his body in a warm embrace.

"Thanks for coming with me." She whispered, not wanting to break the perfection of the evening.

"Mmmm." He was too busy kissing her neck to form words.

They stood quietly for a few minutes, absorbing the peace and serenity Calleigh had always found inside this house.

"Calleigh." He breathed in her ear. "I love you."

She tensed in his arms for a moment, then turned to face him, eyes shining.

"You don't have to say anything." He hadn't actually planned on saying it here – tonight. It just sort of…slipped out. The moment was so perfect, and the chocolate and th lights from the tree - it got to him. He was, at heart, a hopeless romantic. He meant it, but he didn't want to pressure her into saying it, too. He figured she hadn't actually meant to slip it out in the car the other night.

"Eric." She kissed him deeply. "I love you, too. I meant what I said the other day."

Eric's heart squeezed in his chest. She loved him.

A/N: This is the part where you review. Glad you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for the encouragement.


	28. Small Appliances

Author's Note: Still not recieving compensation of any tangible or monetary variety for writing this. Just lovely reviews from some awesome people, and a cheap hobby that keeps me out of trouble. I am not associated in any way with Uni-Max or Aeris brandnames. Nor am I associated with or recieving any compensation from Tri-Star Entertainment. That should cover it for this one. I think. Thanks for reading. Thanks even more if you read AND reviewed. Happy Thanksgiving. Sorry for the delay. I had a little case of the writer's block. It just came to me tonight. Hope you enjoy it. The end is...not really all that near. --Trish

____________________________

Eric was awakened again that night by a body scooting under the covers to join him.

"Makin' this a habit, are ya?" He half-joked.

"Well, I figure it's in your best interest." He couldn't see her face, but he could hear the teasing tone in her voice. "You said yesterday that you couldn't sleep. I'm thinking only of you here."

He chuckled at her as she situated herself against him. He thought it was cute the way she always took several minutes to get comfortable. She would shift from one position to another, then another, and she always ended up in the exact same spot, laying the exact same way curled against his body. "You good?" He asked when he knew she'd found the right spot.

"I am now." She sounded content as she sighed.

Kissing her cheek he whispered against her, "Tomorrow's Christmas."

"No, it's not." Always practical and literal, he could count on that. "Tomorrow's January sixth."

"Fine." He scoffed. "Tomorrow's OUR Christmas." It would be their first Christmas, too. They had decided to ignore the passing of the traditional date in favor of observing this one in Louisiana with her grandparents.

"Worried that Santa will leave you a lump of coal?"

"Not at all." He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. "I've already got everything I want right here. Besides." He lifted his head to kiss her lips lightly. "I've been a VERY good boy this year."

It truly was a Christmas – or belated Christmas – to remember. Calleigh's eyes had teared up when she opened the earrings, and she didn't even try to contain her excitement about the laser sight.

"Eric, it's the Uni-Max Green!" She turned it over in her hands, holding it carefully like it was the most important thing she'd ever held.

He grinned at her. "Yeah."

"Eric, this was developed by the military," She continued listing its attributes, but he wasn't listening. He was lost in her eyes; bright green, brilliantly shining, and filled with happiness. Maitea and Warrener were watching them, too, but Maitea was certain she saw something else in them as well – love. She nudged her husband with her elbow and nodded in the direction of the young couple. He saw it as well, and smiled a knowing smile.

"Really, Eric." She hugged him tightly. "You didn't have to. It's so much." She worried that he'd spent too much money on her

"You're worth it." He whispered into her ear. "Besides, I wanted to."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Eric had been similarly taken aback by her gifts to him. "You didn't." He was dumbfounded.

"I did." She smiled at him widely.

"You got me the Aeris XR-1. With the nitrox."

"Yup." She'd spent a great deal of time at the salesmen picking out just the right dive computer for him. "You should have a nicer one than the one the department issues to you." That wasn't all there was to it, but she didn't want to tell him how much she worries about him when he's diving. She knows he's safe – knows that he he's more than competent – but she still worries. There are so many variables underwater, and given her recent experiences being trapped in it, she didn't want to take any chances with his safety, either.

"Calleigh, thank you. I love it." He'd have to thank her properly later, without an audience.

______________________________

He'd asked her later if she wanted to go visit her mother, but she'd declined politely.

"Thank you, but not right now." He felt her shudder a little at the thought. "She's probably not in any shape to receive guests anyway."

"You're not a guest, Cal." He reminded her. "You're her daughter."

"It's not like that." She didn't want him to keep pushing, and she definitely didn't want him meeting her mother for the first time…drunk. And there was no doubt in Calleigh's mind that her mother was indeed very inebriated.

"I'd love to meet her." Eric didn't really understand the tortured relationship Calleigh and her mother had. They loved each other, but it was usually best if they kept their distance.

"Not today, Eric."

"I make a good first impression." He wasn't sure why she was so resistant to the idea.

"Eric. Drop it." She'd said it a little too sharply – that combined with the way she tore herself away from Eric's embrace left him feeling worried. He really didn't want to fight with her today – or ever, for that matter.

After giving her a few minutes to cool down, he rose and went to find her and apologize. He checked her room first, but it was empty, as was the living room.

"Have you seen Calleigh?" He asked Maitea who was busying herself in the kitchen.

"Not in several minutes, why?"

"I'm just looking for her." He tried to play off the tète they'd just had.

"Mi hijo," She grabbed his hand in hers as he tried to leave the room. "Do not push her about her mother." She shook her head, remembering. "They love each other, it's just…complicated for them."

"You heard?" Eric was embarrassed.

Maitea only nodded. "Young man, I understand you want to know everything about her, no?"

It was Eric's turn to nod. "She just keeps so much secret." It aggravated him sometimes, how closed off she was, even with him.

"She needs time." Maitea cautioned. "Time to figure things out for herself. Figure out how SHE feels about her mother before she will feel comfortable letting you meet her. Beatrice was not exactly the warmest person with Calleigh." Maitea knew all about their last encounter, too, and she shared Calleigh's concern for the woman.

"I just want to apologize." Eric hung his head sadly. "I hate it when she's upset."

"Good man." Maitea patted his cheek softly. "Go to her." She turned him around and pointed out the door. "Go to the garden. She's probably there."

Eric threw her a thankful smile and left quickly. He saw her from a distance, sitting on the garden bench with her back to him. Deliberately shuffling his feet so she would hear him, he moved behind her, then around the bench to drop beside her on it. They neither spoke nor touched, just sat in silence staring into space. When he could take it no longer, Eric grabbed her hand and blurted, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" She sounded genuinely confused.

"For pushing you. About your mom." His thumb was stroking soft circles on the back of her hand. "It's none of my business, and I'm sorry."

Her head dropped down, and her hair fell, concealing her face from his view. "I'm not good at this." He heard her whisper.

"Not good at what?"

"This." Her head shot up. "Relationships. Family. I'm not good at it."

"I disagree." He was still holding her hand, tugging her toward him.

"Eric, I blew up at you when you suggested we visit my mother!"

"I'm not upset." He assured her. "I'm worried about you."

"You're always worried about me." Her voice had taken on a high-pitched quality, and he could tell she was trying to not cry. "You don't need to take care of me. I'm fine. I just…"

"Calleigh." He closed his eyes. "I've worried about you since we met. You're my friend. You've been my friend for years. And I love you. I'm going to worry. Get used to it. But, it's not because I think you can't take care of yourself or can't…whatever. I don't know. I just…you mean a lot to me…and I…I want you to be happy…and…and safe. That's all."

She deflated as he spoke, his words driving all the anger from her and leaving her discomfited. "I'm sorry, Eric." She whispered. "I just…my mom and I…we're not close or anything. She's…difficult. Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm the one who's difficult. The whole thing's complicated."

Wisely, Eric held his tongue. Rather than retort, he scooted closer to her on the bench and raised one arm to rest across her shoulders. Calleigh seemed to relax on contact, at least a little.

"You will meet her." She promised him. "Just not right now."

"Okay." He gave her shoulders a squeeze, trying to convey his satisfaction with her answer. "Are we okay?"

"Are we?" Calleigh was mortified. She'd blown up at him for no reason. It wasn't his fault that he didn't understand, and he was only trying to help. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." He kissed the bridge of her nose and smiled. "I think we're fine."

"Yeah." She laid her head on his chest. "Me, too."

"Thank you." She said out of the blue a few minutes later.

"For what?"

"Forgiving me. Understanding."

"I can't be mad at you, Cal."

"Still."

"Anytime."

______________________________________

Warrener and Maitea retired early that evening, but not before embarrassing Calleigh for hours by regaling Eric with pictures, movies, and stories of Calleigh's childhood.

"I can't believe you did that!" Eric was doubled over with laughter.

"Well, it wasn't exactly part of the plan, ya know?" She chuckled. "I just wanted to see how it worked."

"Did you?"

"Yeah, taking it apart wasn't the problem." She'd always wanted to know how things worked. So when she took the popcorn popper apart, she just assumed she'd be able to get it back together. "I didn't have any parts or anything left over, so I thought it'd be okay to use it."

Eric was still laughing. "Did you try it? When did -?"

"I put some popcorn in, to make some, you know?" It was good to laugh about the good times again. "It started smoking, and I was, what, nine?" Warrener laughed as he nodded. "I panicked. It started smoking, then it just sort of exploded."

"Popcorn was everywhere." Maitea laughed at the memory of Calleigh's mischievious childhood. "Popped, kernels, little pieces of popcorn maker. The whole kitchen was a disaster."

Eric's sides hurt from laughing so hard. He had guessed that she'd been a 'curious' child, but to hear the evidence first hand was really something else. "What else did you take apart?"

"Everything." Maitea teased. "I had to buy a new toaster, a blender, food processor."

"I wanted to see what made the toast hot." Calleigh defended. "And the tiny little motors in the blender and stuff – always fascinated me. What, you never took anything apart just to see how it works?"

"Oh, I did." Eric hadn't been exactly an angel, either. "But I had the sense to wait until it was broken."

"What's the fun in that?" Calleigh had tears streaming down her face from the hilarity of the evening. "You can't see how it works if you wait for it to break."

"She took apart my drill, too." Warrener interjected. "And my lawn mower."

"What is it with you and motors?"

"They were interesting." She defended. "They make things move. It was like magic. I was NINE!" It had been a while since Calleigh laughed so hard; her sides were hurting.

The visual displays had been the worst. Maitea had pictures and videos of Calleigh's entire childhood, from age four on. Warrener took special care to show Eric Calleigh's winning science fair projects (He made sure to put special emphasis on the plural in projects), her model rockets, her school plays. Eric pulled Calleigh closer to him on the sofa, loving every moment of the walk down memory lane.

"Oh, oh." Calleigh pointed excitedly to a group of pictures. "I remember this." She lifted the album off Eric's lap. "I was seven. We went to the Bayou Pierre Alligator Park."

"And you climbed on the fence to see better and almost fell in the pond!" Maitea scolded her, almost thirty years later. "Always climbing on something, this one!" She patted Calleigh's hand and continued. "Like a little monkey."

Calleigh smiled shyly and dipped her head.

After her grandparents went to bed Calleigh flipped on the television. She wanted to go outside and walk for a while, but it was too cold. There was nothing on TV, so she raided their video collection.

"Have you seen Steel Magnolias?"

"No." His voice didn't sound like he wanted change that statistic, either.

"Do you mind?" She looked so cute and hopeful; Eric knew he didn't have a chance. "I haven't seen it in forever. Abuela and I used to watch it all the time."

"Of course not." He acquiesced.

She laughed through almost the entire movie, until Shelby died. Even Eric thought it was sad, but he was amazed to see Calleigh actually crying. "You've seen this movie a million times." He teased as he brushed her tears away.

"Yeah, well." She justified. "It's still sad." Calleigh gasped suddenly and turned to him. "If you tell ANYONE at work that I cried at a movie…" She left the idle threat hanging.

"Relax." He kissed her, laughing. "I won't tell a soul that you're actually a soft hearted romantic sap."

"I am not a sap." She argued. "I just…love that movie."

"It's a chick flick." He teased her, getting her all riled up.

"It's a good movie. Don't lie to me. You liked it."

"It wasn't…horrible." He begrudgingly conceded.

Calleigh just smirked at him.

"Softy." He whispered, teasing.

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You know what to do...Click!


	29. Face Off

Author's Note: I'm bored, so I wrote another chapter. I'm thousands of miles away from my nearest family member, so I'll proably update tomorrow, too. I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving. Read and review por favor!

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A month had passed since Calleigh and Eric went to Louisiana for Christmas. Calleigh, for her part, was certain that she'd never been as happy as she was with Eric. He was…good to her…all the time. He never made her feel like she was a burden to him – and Calleigh was aware that she wasn't always the easiest person to be around. Eric was similarly content. Calleigh was amazing. She did little things that meant so much to him. One day he found a note in his shirt pocket. Another day he came home – to his home – to find her already there, dressed to the nines with dinner reservations at Azul. She had insisted on paying, saying it was her turn to treat him to something special. Every time he thought of that evening his heart skipped a few times. Calleigh had been a vision. She was always gorgeous, but something about that simple navy blue dress and the candle light; he was ready to propose on the spot right then and there. The only problem was he didn't have the ring with him. He hadn't decided if he wanted to pick a new setting or leave it as-is. Did she like yellow gold? White gold? Platinum? Would she want something flashier, with more stones? His sister, Cristina, promised him that these were all important pieces of information that he MUST obtain before doing anything. And he didn't know Calleigh's ring size. It could be resized after, but the moment wouldn't be perfect if she tried to put it on and it was too big. He wanted it to be perfect, and wasn't willing to sacrifice that just to satisfy his own selfish desire to put a ring on her finger and "mark" her as his.

He watched her at work sometimes; when she didn't know he was around. She was so graceful. Her movements flowed so flawlessly that Eric found himself mesmerized. Horatio caught him staring once, and Eric discovered what it was like to blush twelve shades of red.

"Mr. Delko?" Horatio knew exactly what the younger CSI was doing. He had tipped the chair he was sitting in back onto two legs and was craning his neck to see around the door jam of the DNA lab. Calleigh was engrossed in what looked to be a very amusing conversation with Valera. She threw her head back a few times in laughter, and even though Eric couldn't see it, he knew she was smiling. "Mr. Delko, I'm sure you have work to do."

Eric had been so startled by Horatio's sudden appearance that he had actually lost his balance and gone sprawling onto the floor, chair and all. "H." He scrambled to his feet and tried to come up with a decent excuse. Finding none, he just shrugged sheepishly. "I couldn't help it."

"Mr. Delko." Horatio was going to scold him, but the blush that appeared instantly appeared on his face told him it wasn't necessary. He was like the kid with his hand caught in the proverbial cookie jar. "Get to work, Eric." Walked away quickly shaking his head as he went, but that was only to hide the slight smile that had taken the place of his ordinarily stern features.

________________________________________

"Thank you so much for meeting with me, Doctor." She rose and shook the woman's hand.

"It was my pleasure." The older woman responded warmly. "I'll make my final decision and be in touch soon."

"Thank you so much for your time." She thanked her again and left, feeling very confident. Her heels clicked on the floor, echoing in the empty halls. Rounding the corner, she almost collided with another person.

"Excuse me." She froze. "I'm so sor-"

"What are you doing here?" Calleigh tried to steady her voice, but found the battle to be more difficult than usual.

"I had a – what are YOU doing here?" Coralee was confused.

"I WORK here." She hadn't raised her voice, but the tone was unmistakable. "So I am going to ask you one more time. What are you doing here?"

"I had an interview." Coralee was actually a little afraid right now. Calleigh was a little intimidating when she was angry.

"You're trying to…what…take my job now?" Calleigh knew she was being ridiculous, but she was to thrown by the sight of this…girl…at the lab.

"I wasn't trying to take anything." Coralee leveled her voice, working furiously to not raise it or let it shake at all. "I just had an interview. I thought you were a physicist."

"I AM a physicist!" Calleigh exploded. "I'm a ballistics expert for Miami-Dade Police Department!" She moved her hand a little, exposing her badge and gun in the process.

If it was supposed to be perceived as a threat, it was, because Coralee physically shrank back, taking several steps to put some distance between them. It didn't work, however, because Calleigh drew herself up to her full five feet three inches, five six in her heels, and followed her slowly.

"I was just here for an interview." Coralee tried to diffuse the situation. "There's an internship this summer…"

"I don't want to hear it."

They were starting to draw a crowd, all the noise in the hallway. Alexx had been on her way back to the morgue when she'd heard the commotion, so she quickly fetched Horatio, who grabbed Eric along the way, who was actually working this time.

"Eric, Honey." Alexx questioned him softly. "Do you know what's going on here?"

"Uhhh, sort of." He didn't want to lie, but honestly he had no idea why Coralee was here. And he knew Calleigh wouldn't want her personal life spread around the lab.

"Do they know each other, Eric?" Alexx filled Horatio in on the details on the way down the hall. "Why is Ms. Duquesne yelling at Alexx's interviewee?"

"They kind of know each other." He gestured toward the women.

"I realize that, Mr. Delko." He knew Eric was hiding something. "How do they know each other?"

He just nodded to the women. "Look at 'em. You don't see it?"

Alexx turned to look, but Horatio wanted answers. "Eric." He warned.

"Are they related?" Alexx couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Uh, yeah." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Calleigh is an only child." Horatio knew everything that was in his employees personnel files. That left cousin?

"Actually, H." Eric didn't want to do this. "She's not."

No one said anything. Horatio and Alexx just stared at him. "They're half-sisters. Calleigh only found out a few months ago." That was enough information. He didn't want to say more.

Calleigh and Coralee continued their altercation.

"Ooh. Cool. A catfight." Ryan joined Horatio and crew in the hallway, gawking. "Who's winning?"

"Quiet." Eric shushed him.

"No one wins, Mr. Wolfe." Horatio shook his head sadly. "No one wins."

They remained silent for a while, watching, but Ryan had to interject. "Twenty bucks says Calleigh beats the crap out of her."

Eric just slapped him on the back of the head.

"The whole time I was interviewing her, I kept thinking she reminded me of someone. It's Calleigh. She reminds me of Calleigh." Alexx spoke mostly to herself, but loud enough for the others to hear.

"So what, you thought you could just waltz in here, and what?" Calleigh was fuming, literally shaking with rage. This girl intruded on HER life. Here.

"I had in interview." Coralee repeated, hoping Calleigh would believe her eventually.

"You can't take this from me, too you know?" Calleigh inched closer until they were face to face.

Eric watched Coralee cower against the wall that Calleigh had backed her into. Calleigh truly was a force to be reckoned with, but this was out of character for her. If the situation had been different, if she wasn't yelling at her little sister – half sister – he would have been proud of her. Something about Calleigh's last words engendered a change in Coralee's demeanor, though. Eric saw her draw herself up and face off with her older sibling.

"I never took anything from you!" She defended, standing up straight. Even in heels, she was several inches shorter than Calleigh, but she tried anyway. "YOU came to MY apartment, remember?" She was gaining steam and feeling the slow burn of anger – twenty seven years worth of anger. "YOU waltzed into MY life. I was NEVER going to look you up! I was NEVER going to interrupt you PERFECT life! DO you KNOW how much I wanted to be YOU?" It was Coralee's turn to step forward, noting with satisfaction how Calleigh took a half step back away from her.

"You and your perfect life!" She spat out. "I didn't take anything from you! You had him every day. I saw him once every couple of months!" She hated the memories. "You were all he ever talked about even when he came to visit! Calleigh did this. Calleigh did that! Do you think he wanted ME?" Coralee pulled back to unleash a lifetime of pain. "I was nothing to him but a constant reminder of his own shortcomings! Do you think he wanted to knock up a cocktail waitress? I wasn't planned. I was an obligation! Do you think he took me on trips? Do you think I had a college fund? He didn't love me. He tolerated me because it was the right thing to do!"

Calleigh was stunned at the outburst. She had never considered it from this point of view before. She opened her mouth, but Coralee continued. "Don't you DARE start in on me. I am not the cause of all your problems. I'm sorry to ruin your perfect life with my inconvenient existence, but you need to remember one thing: YOU came to MY HOUSE! You looked me up. Don't you DARE blame this one me!"

Calleigh was not one who took well to being attacked. "This is MY place of business." She hissed. "I recommend you get out." She spat the end through clenched teeth, barely controlling her impulses.

Coralee stared at her for a minute before spinning and dashing away from the altercation.

"Coralee." Eric reached out a hand and grabbed her arm as she ran past him.

"Eric." She stopped and straightened, immediately softening her facial features. "I apologize for the outburst. I'll be going now."

"Coralee." He tried again, but her attention was elsewhere.

"Miss Prynne, Sweetie." Alexx pushed Eric out of the way.

Coralee's face flashed a horrified look, but she recovered almost immediately. "Dr. Woods. I apologize for the waste of your time, but it seems I won't be needing that internship after all. I'm sorry to take up your time. I know you're very busy."

She whirled around and walked as quickly as she could toward the exit. When she felt she was safely out of view, she ran – sprinted, actually – until she was outside.

"You know her?" Alexx and Horatio asked simultaneously.

"I met her once." Eric shrugged noncommittally.

"How?" Ryan wanted to be in the loop, too.

"When Calleigh met her. I volunteered to go with her." He tried to keep the details of their personal relationship out of the picture.

"Calleigh's sister is kind of hot." Ryan sometimes let his mouth run faster than his brain when it came to women.

"Ryan!" Alexx scolded him this time, saving Eric the trouble.

Eric tried to follow Calleigh, but found himself held in place. "Where do you think you're going, Baby?" Alexx raised her eyebrows at him.

"Calleigh –" He pointed to the direction she'd disappeared.

"Oh, no, Honey." She shook her head. "You go get my intern back. I'LL deal with Miss Thang."

"She got the job?" Eric was thrilled for Coralee, but felt guilty for it.

"Go get my intern!" She wagged a finger toward the exit, giving Eric a very stern look. Alexx would have laughed if the situation were at all humorous.

Eric hustled down the hallway after Coralee.

Stopping just outside the door, Coralee leaned against the side of the building and bent at the waist, trying to stop the tears. She took a few shaky breathes and opened her eyes. Darnit. She was still wearing the visitor badge. Squaring her shoulders, she stood straight and marched back into the building.

"I'm so sorry." She drawled to the receptionist, and doing a remarkable job of acting like nothing was wrong. "I forgot to give you this." She unclasped the badge and handed it over. "Have a nice day." She waved with fake cheerfulness and turned to leave.

"Coralee!" A voice called, but she didn't stop.

"Coralee!" Eric ran, sprinted actually, to catch up with her in the parking lot. "Coralee. Wait."

She finally halted, but did not turn to face him immediately. "I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry. Please." She pleaded with him once he was close enough to hear her. "I didn't know she worked here. Honest."

"I know." He believed her. Something in her voice made him want to hug her. She sounded so lost and alone. Eric had always been surrounded by lots of people who love him. He couldn't imagine what Coralee's life was like.

"I'm sorry for the disruption." She withdrew her keys and attempted to unlock her car.

"Wait." Eric wasn't sure how to break the news. "You got the job."

She froze, then slowly turned to face him. "I. Got. The. Internship?" She asked him haltingly.

"Yeah." He smiled encouragingly at her. "Alexx wanted me to tell you."

Tears started streaming down Coralee's face. "Will you tell her I'm sorry? I can't accept it."

"Sure you can!" Of course it would be tricky, but this was a big deal. "Just say 'yes'."

"No." She shook her head. "I can't. It's okay. It's not a big deal, really." Eric didn't believe a word of it. "One of my professors just suggested it; it's not some huge thing. It doesn't even pay anything. I should get a job that pays. I could use the cash." She tried to make a joke, but it flopped.

"Hey." Eric placed his hand on the door, effectively preventing her from escaping. "Alexx doesn't just hand out internships. You should take this. It'd be a great career move, right?"

"Doesn't matter." She sounded so dejected. "I don't want it."

"Sure you do."

"She doesn't want me here." She was trying to stop the tears that stubbornly continued to flow. "I can't do that."

"She'll come around." Eric knew she was talking about Calleigh. "Plus, it's not like you'd be working together. You'll be in the morgue all day."

"I can't."

"Coralee, come one." Eric had one more idea. "Alexx will kill me if I don't get her intern back. Don't make her kill me. Please?" He tried the puppy dog eyes that worked so well on Calleigh. It appeared to be a genetic weakness, because he saw Coralee start to soften.

"You know you want this internship." He goaded. "I'll run interference for you. So will Alexx."

"I don't know. She was pretty clear on not wanting me there. Is she a cop?"

"Yeah." He nodded. "We all are. Except Alexx, of course."

"Right." She nodded. "I didn't know. Honest. I thought she lived in Louisiana." Her eyes pled with him to believe her.

"I know." He assured her. "I know."

She mulled it over for a few minutes in silence. "She could shoot me for this, you know?" Coralee was well aware of her half-sister's proficiency with firearms. Their father never wasted an opportunity to talk about his daughter. Even to his "other" daughter, who always seemed to be in the shadows.

"She won't." He smiled. "I promise." She was breaking.

She thought about it for a while longer. "Okay."

"Really?" He didn't think he'd been that convincing.

She nodded in response, looking very young and scared for a moment.

"You know." He bumped her shoulder with his fist in affection. "It was pretty amazing the way you stood up to her. Not too many people could do that." He had been impressed by her moxie. She had mettle; that was for sure – even if he'd been less than pleased that someone was yelling at Calleigh.

"I didn't mean to yell at her." She admitted. "It just made me so mad."

"She's probably sorry." Eric didn't want Coralee to get the wrong idea about Calleigh. "She's not usually like that."

"It was a shock for her, too." She nodded. "I know."

"Yeah. So I can really tell Alexx you'll take the job?" His life expectancy just increased – at least until Calleigh finds out he had something to do with convincing the girl to work there.

"I guess."

"It'll be fine. Don't worry." He wondered how fine it really would be, but didn't voice his concerns aloud.

"If you say so." He could hear the skepticism in her voice.

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Author's Note: Stay tuned for Alexx's talk with Calleigh…and more.


	30. The Downside of Anger

Author's Note: As promised, here's another chapter. Now go eat yourselves into a turkey coma. And have some pumpkin pie for me. Or better yet, sweet potato. Mmmmm. I don't own the characters, and no one is paying me for this. Don't sue. I own nothing but a bunch of textbooks.

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Alexx followed Calleigh back to the ballistics lab, and found her heaving deep breaths and trying to calm down.

"Calleigh, Honey," She didn't want to attack her. "Who was that?"

"She's no one." Calleigh was not in the mood to talk about it.

"The little girl you just sent crying out of the lab?" Alexx scolded. "That's my new intern. I want to know who the person yelling at her was. That isn't like you, Baby."

"Your new intern?" Calleigh repeated, dumbfounded.

"That's right." Alexx narrowed her eyes.

"How much did you hear?" All emotion aside, Calleigh did not like the idea of everyone in the lab knowing her personal business.

"Honey, everyone heard everything."

"Great." She huffed, dropping onto a lab stool.

"Half-sister, huh?" Alexx dropped carefully, knowing instinctively that Calleigh would be resistant to talking about her.

"What? How do you know?"

"Calleigh." She warned.

"Eric." She guessed correctly, not needing Alexx to spell it out for her.

"It's not his fault." The intention was not to cause problems for the two younger CSIs. "We sort of made him tell us."

"What else did he tell you?" Calleigh made a note to kill Eric later for this.

"Only that you just found out about her."

Calleigh nodded, pursing her lips. "She can't work here." She knew it was mean – even irrational – but she did not think that she could handle seeing Coralee every day at work. Obviously she did not react well to seeing her today, she could only imagine the kind of environment that would exist if she started seeing the girl on a daily basis.

"Well, you better get used to it." Alexx had no tolerance for irrational thought, even though she understood why Calleigh felt that way. This behavior was unlike Calleigh, but people do react in unpredictable ways to unexpected stressors.

"Why?" Calleigh thought she'd been pretty clear with the girl earlier. She wasn't welcome, and she thought she'd left no room for interpretation there.

"Because I sent Eric out to get her. She's the most qualified candidate, and I'm hiring her."

"You wouldn't." Calleigh couldn't believe the two people she was closest to were betraying her in this way.

"Calleigh, Baby," Alexx put her hand on Calleigh's shoulder. "I am not going to change my hiring practices. She the best candidate, and I chose her."

"I can't look at her." Calleigh muttered softly.

"Why is that?"

"She's just…it's just…I can't. I won't."

"Calleigh, you don't have any siblings do you? That you grew up with?"

Calleigh just shook her head. "None that I know of. Well, no one else that I know of ."

"Honey, you have an opportunity here." Alexx wasn't sure how to put this gently. "Your father just died. You could have a sister here. She's a part of him, you know – a part of you."

"No, she's not." She protested. Calleigh did not want to think of Coralee as sharing anything with herself.

"Yes, she is." Alexx knew this would be difficult. "Like it or not, she's your family. Your blood. You might not like the circumstances, but she is – you are. You two share something special, and you, young lady, would be remiss to pass this over. There's nothing more important than family."

"Alexx, you don't understand."

"What don't I understand, Honey?"

"My dad, he…" Calleigh couldn't come up with a good argument.

"Your parents are divorced, right?" Calleigh nodded. "How old were you?"

"If you're asking if they were still married when she was born, the answer is yes."

"So you're feeling betrayed by him." Alexx may not have specialized in psychiatry, but she did have a fairly solid understanding of human behavior. "You want to ignore this girl, because if you deny her, you can deny the act of infidelity, is that right?"

She hadn't really thought about it, but Alexx's explanation did make sense. "I guess."

"Well, guess what, Calleigh?" Alexx was going to give it to her straight. "It happened. And you have a little sister. She's a sweetheart, too. Smart. I think if you gave her a chance, you could end up…liking her."

"I don't have to like her." Calleigh was nothing if not stubborn.

"No, you don't." Alexx agreed. "But you are going to have to work with her." Now, more than ever, Alexx was glad she had decided to hire Coralee. She was the final interview, and the only really qualified, motivated candidate she'd found so far. She'd finally been given permission by the county to create this internship, and she'd screened dozens of candidates – all potential hopefuls. The problem was their skewed idea of the job. It wasn't glamorous they way television shows described it. It was long hours and hard work. It was dirty and gritty and grimey. It smelled bad, and you saw first hand all manner of pain and evil inflicted on people by others. It was a hard job, and Coralee was the only candidate who seemed to be prepared to deal with those harsh realities. Alexx was finished; she figured she'd given Calleigh enough to think about, so she smiled at her sympathetically and left.

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When Eric arrived at Calleigh's house that evening after work Calleigh was still fuming. "Isn't it a little too coincidental?" She hissed.

"What?"

"Her. Showing up here." Calleigh still refused to believe that Coralee didn't know she worked at the lab.

"I don't know." Eric shrugged. "She said she thought you lived in Louisiana."

"Oh, don't get me started on you, yet!" She had yet to get into how she felt about Eric talking Coralee into taking the job. "And her name!"

"What about her name?"

"Coralee? Please." Calleigh was on full blow now. "Coralee? Calleigh? Are you seeing a pattern here? And she moves to Florida. It's like she's following me."

"Cal," Eric tried to give her a hug, but she evaded him. He had no answer about their names. He couldn't deny the smiliarity, though. "Cal, she just moved here because of school." _Mistake!_

"Don't you take her side!" Calleigh looked like she'd been hit. She couldn't believe that Eric was taking Coralee's side. Alexx was taking her side. Didn't anyone care about what SHE thought?

"Cal, I'm not taking sides, honest." He knew this would end poorly. "I just…she thought you lived in Louisiana still. She said she had no idea you lived in Miami. She didn't even know you're a cop." Eric had the uncanny ability to see all sides of every situation, and in this case, it was more of a curse. He felt for both girls, and he desperately wanted to make Calleigh feel better.

"What about the news?" Calleigh's anger was diminishing, but she was still upset. "Doesn't she watch the news? We're on it all the time."

"She's in medical school." He shrugged. "I figure she doesn't have much time to watch the news."

Calleigh seemed to accept this, but still maintained some distance from Eric.

"I can't believe Alexx hired her." She seemed deflated a little.

"She said she was the best one."

"I know." Calleigh was running out of argument and energy. Being angry all day took a lot out of her.

"You don't have to be best friends forever with her, Cal." Eric finally got her to stand still long enough to move in and wrap his arms around her. "Just ignore her if you want to. Alexx wants her for that internship, you're going to have to see her at least. Probably interact with her a few times. You can do that."

"I don't want to see her." Calleigh shivered. "Ever."

"Cal, I'm so sorry." Eric rubbed her back in soothing circles. "I'm sorry you have to go through this. It isn't fair."

"This isn't fair." She muttered, sounding every bit like a small child as she whined. She hated feeling like this. She had no control over her life right now, no control over herself, her emotions.

"No, Cal." Eric comforted her. "It's not."

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R/R!!!


	31. 27 Years of Solitude

Author's Note: I hope you all are having a great day (whether you celebrate the holiday or not. I don't know. Maybe you don't like Thanksgiving. Maybe you're not American. Still, I hope you have a great day). It's storming here. I live in the middle of the freaking desert, and it's storming. It's kind of nice. I've been missing rain and humidity. Makes me less homesick for the south.  
Thanks for reading. Yes, Calleigh was a little out of character in the previous chapter. She was supposed to be. People react in ways we can't predict in very stressful situations. It's simply psychology. No, I'm not a psychologist or a psychiatrist, but I am taking and have taken classes in human behavior, etc. This is a short chapter. Mainly intended to give some insight into Coralee. I'll be here all day. I don't own anything. Don't sue me.

Coralee drove home in a daze. Today had been too much for her to handle. She'd known about Calleigh her entire life, and she'd stood silently in her shadow while their father doted upon and bragged about his favored daughter's accomplishments. Coralee had been grateful to her mother when they'd moved to Savannah. The change of location had been good for her. The school system was…lacking, but she'd worked hard. She'd graduated valedictorian from her high school class, got a partial scholarship to college, and worked so hard to make something out of herself – prove to everyone that she was just as good as this sister she'd never met. Their father would never know about any of her accomplishments, but that didn't matter much to Coralee. She knew. She'd come so far, and accomplished so much. She was finally starting to feel…validated, and then Calleigh showed up at her front door a few months ago. Her carefully layered defenses all came crumbing down, and she felt like she was eight years old and trying to explain why she got a 'B' in math when all Calleigh ever came home with were 'A's.' There she was. Her 'big' sister; perfect, real, live, and in the flesh – and in her apartment.

She stumbled out of her car and into her apartment tears still streaming down her face. She couldn't believe she'd yelled at Calleigh – couldn't believe Calleigh had yelled at her; especially in front of everyone. Coralee was not a person who liked airing her dirty laundry in front of strangers. She was mortified that she'd fought with Calleigh – the one person she'd always idolized, even though she'd never met her.

She knew it was silly, but as a child she'd always had this crazy fantasy of her and Calleigh playing together. Calleigh would fix her hair and teach her how to roller skate and how to drive. They could share clothes and talk about boys – all the things that big sisters do. She'd always wanted a family. After her mother died, she'd felt so alone. Meeting Calleigh had sparked that fantasy again – the desire for family, the desire for a big sister. She knew how to roller skate and she had the driving thing down. She no longer needed help fixing hair, either, but after talking with Calleigh's boyfriend a few times, Coralee decided that she could definitely learn a few things from her sister. He was…nice. And very good-looking. Calleigh had obviously done well for herself on that front. She could definitely pick up a few tips in that department.

She sank down on her couch alone, and grabbed a blanket. Surveying her apartment, she decided it was a good metaphor for her day – her…life. Empty. Lonely. Maybe this was a bad idea. She didn't have to take the internship. She could change her mind, call Dr. Woods and quit. There was still time. She didn't have to start until summer…spring break at the earliest. Dr. Woods had mentioned something about starting during break if she didn't have other plans already. At the time, Coralee had been thrilled at the prospect, but now it made her nauseous to think about it. She hadn't planned this. She hadn't wanted to disrupt everyone's life, or have her own life disrupted. She just wanted an internship. The opportunity was a dream, once in a lifetime. It was so rare for these things to open up – especially for a first year medical student. Dr. Woods had been so kind and warm; she'd been looking forward to working with her. Until…

________________________

"Alexx kept going on about how this is an opportunity for me." Calleigh's anger had pretty much fizzled, but she was still appalled.

"Opportunity, how?" Eric was thankful that Calleigh hadn't turned her anger on him yet. He knew he deserved it, but he was just trying to do the right thing. And Alexx scared him a little. When she got all maternal and authoritative, he knew better than to argue.

"She kept saying how she's my family, and family is the most important thing." Calleigh scoffed a little. "Can you believe that?"

"Family is the most important thing." It slipped out before Eric could censor it. He'd been raised to believe that nothing mattered more than family, and he was grateful for the love he'd received from them. He was pleased that Alexx had said all the things to Calleigh that he'd wanted to say for months – he knew she would not take well to hearing that from him. It wasn't his place. Still, he had to add, "I miss my sister every day. I'd give anything to talk to her again."

Calleigh bit her lip and went silent, feeling guilty. She hadn't considered how Eric would feel about all this. She knew how close he and Marisol had been, and how deeply her death had cut him. After his shooting, in the hospital when he'd asked for her, Calleigh felt her own heart break. She realized that he would have to grieve her all over again. She wondered how he felt about her denial of her own sister.

"Eric, it's different." She tried to explain. "We didn't grow up together. It's not like you and your family."

He held his tongue, but he wanted to tell her that it didn't have to be different. She could have a sister too, if she'd allow herself to just…well, he figured she'd have to start out just tolerating her. They'd work their way up to…friendship later.

"Come one." He grabbed her by the waist. "Let's go for a walk." He thought about it for a moment. "We can get ice cream."

"I don't want ice cream, Eric." She didn't mind his hands on her waist, though.

"We could get pie." He knew of a great bakery not too far from her house, too.

"Eric, food isn't going to fix this."

"What can I do?"

"Just be here." Calleigh was tired of talking about it. She didn't want to think about Coralee anymore.

Eric smiled and squeezed her tighter. "I can do that."

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You know you want to!


	32. The Good Lab

Author's Note: Who loves ya, baby? It's me! In case you couldn't tell, I'm trying desparately to finish this story before school starts again. If I don't get it done, it will literally be Christmas before I get another chance. Next quarter is going to, in a word...blow. Thanks for the reviews. I don't own the characters (except the one's I made up). Don't sue me. Enjoy the story. Review at will. Also, y'all rock.

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Coralee had never been this nervous before in her life. She'd been through some anxiety-producing situations in her life, but this truly took the cake, as it were. Today, however, she had that nervous knot in the pit of her stomach. It was her first day of internship. Spring break had finally arrived. The one week break from classes would ordinarily be a welcome reprieve, but the possibility of going to THAT place and seeing HER was a little much. Break was supposed to be stress-free. A time to relax. There would be no rest for Coralee, though – at least not during normal working hours (and whatever other hours she was needed to be present for). She spent hours the night before picking out an outfit. Her friend Sarah had been called late in the evening in a panic.

"Sarah, you have to help me." Her voice was frantic.

"Cor, Babe, what's the problem?" Sarah was concerned. Coralee was usually so composed and put-together.

"I start this internship tomorrow, and I don't know what to wear!"

"Scrubs." Sarah had a simple answer for every crisis.

"I can't just show up in scrubs. I have to wear something professional."

"I'll be right over." Sarah laughed. Her laughter increased when she got to Coralee's apartment, however. Every article of what Coralee deemed "adult, professional clothing" was strewn about the apartment on the sofa, the dining room table, the chairs, the bed. She had shoes everywhere, jewelry – and she was in a bona fide panic state.

"I don't have anything to wear." Surely this was a sign. If she couldn't even pick out an outfit, she had no chance of performing well on this internship.

"Relax. Calm down." Sarah sat her forcefully in a chair. "Your personal stylist is here, have no fear!" She whizzed around the apartment inspecting the clothes. "What about…this." She grabbed a simple pair of brown pants with tiny multi-colored pinstripes and a yellow sweater.

"I don't have shoes for that." She pointed to the pile of shoes. "I need brown heels, and I only have black and red."

"You have brown heels! I was with you when you bought them." Sarah rummaged in Coralee's closet for a moment and exited triumphantly with a pair of brown heels.

"Do they go?" She wasn't sure they matched. The buckle on the toe and the linen accents – she just wasn't sure.

"Well enough." Sarah had to admit, it wasn't perfect. "We'll try something with black shoes. How about that?"

She picked up a pair of black pants, a turquoise blouse and a simple black jacket edged in turquoise. "Cor, this is great." She threw her the outfit and went in search of shoes. "You seriously have black heels with turquoise stitching?" She held up the shoes excitedly. "This is perfect. Go." She pulled her friend out of the chair. "Try it on. Let me see."

Coralee came out of the bedroom a few minutes later looking very put-together, but still unconvinced. "Is this right?" She pulled at the jacket. "It seems to matchy-matchy."

"You are so difficult." Sarah sighed. "It's supposed to match. You look nice."

"I'm not sure."

"Fine." Sarah huffed with mock irritation. "We'll find something else. Leave the pants on. I'll find a different shirt."

"These shoes are really uncomfortable, too."

"Sweetie, of course they are. They're heels."

"Yeah, but I have to wear them all day."

"You bought 'em!" Sarah teased her good-naturedly. "Here." She tossed another outfit to Coralee. "Put this on."

Coralee went through six clothing changes before she was satisfied. "I like this one." She announced happily. "What do you think?"

"I like it, of course. I picked it out." Her friend did look nice. The light green sweater accented her friend's eyes beautifully, and the simple silver jewelry was a nice touch. "Do you have grey pants?" She worried that the black was too harsh.

"No. I have herringbone." She gestured to a nice pair of lined pants hanging haphazardly on a chair.

"Put 'em on." Sarah commanded.

"Is this better?" She was unconvinced. "I think they're too tight."

"Trust me." Sarah nodded approvingly. "They're tight in all the right places."

"I'm starting my internship, not trolling for guys at a club, Sar!"

"Still, you'll knock 'em dead." Sarah was rummaging through Coralee's makeup bag. "Use this eye shadow." She instructed; face serious. "And go easy on the lipstick tomorrow. The eye shadow's pretty bold, so use something light and neutral for lips and blush."

"Okay." Coralee nodded, brow furrowed in concentration.

"How are you wearing your hair?"

"Like I always do." Down, simple. Mostly straight, with a hint of wave.

"Good." Sarah seemed satisfied. "Very nice. You all set?" She loved her friend, but sometimes she seemed so lost. Sarah hadn't known her for very long, but when it came to things girly, Coralee always appeared to need a helping hand.

"I'm scared."

"You'll be fine."

"What if I don't know anything?"

"You got the job." Sarah gave her a hug. "They know you're smart. Don't worry. You'll do great!"

"What if I screw up?" The gravity of the job was weighing heavily on her. "People's lives depend on this. If I do something wrong and somebody doesn't go to jail or something gets overlooked, what if…"

"Stop." Sarah cut her off before she went into full-blown freak-out mode. "First of all, you're an INTERN. You won't be doing anything all that important. No one is going to trust you with an autopsy. You're there to learn. So watch and learn. If you're not sure of something, just ask. You said the lady was really nice, right?"

Coralee just nodded.

"Well, she will probably respect you more if you ask questions and do things right the first time rather than just diving in and screwing something up with no idea what's going on." Sarah was helping Coralee clean up the disaster that was her apartment now; putting clothes back on hangers and putting shoes away.

"Are you going to be okay?" She was aware of her friend's predilection for apprehension.

"I'm fine." She assured her.

"Really?"

"No." Coralee smiled. "I'm petrified."

"Do I need to stay?"

"No. I'll be fine." Coralee felt chagrined for calling her friend out so late anyway.

"Alrighty." The two girls hugged. "Good luck tomorrow. You'll be fabulous, I know."

"Thanks so much for coming over."

"Any time."

Now it was morning. She was dressed, her makeup was finished, her hair was fixed, and she was sitting on I-95 stuck in traffic. Luckily, she didn't have to freak out yet. She'd allotted two hours for the forty-five minute drive, so she still had time. However, with every minute she sat not moving, her anxiety level ratcheted up a notch or two.

"Finally." It had been twenty-seven minutes exactly, and traffic started inching slowly forward.

She eased her car off the interstate and wove her way through the city to the crime lab. Finding an unmarked space in the garage, she secured her vehicle, and took a deep breath.

"Here goes nothing." She said to herself aloud. After a few deep breaths, she spoke aloud again, although no one was listening. "It's now or never."

Alexx was waiting for her at the front desk when she entered.

"Doctor Woods." Coralee extended her hand politely. "I just want to thank you again for this opportunity. I really appreciate it."

"It's Alexx, Honey." She was never one to stand on ceremony. "And you are more than welcome."

She got Coralee checked in and photographed, got her a permanent badge, and led her down to the morgue. "Miss Prynne, do you have any old clothes or scrubs with you? This job can get a little messy." The young girl was dressed so nicely; she hated to think she was going to ruin her clothes. She knew how strapped for cash medical students are, having been one herself once.

"Please, it's Coralee." She offered. Being called Miss Prynne always made her feel old. That was her mother. "I have stuff right here." She lifted up a bag stuffed with scrubs, lab shoes, and her lunch.

"Okay." Alexx was pleased. The girl seemed composed and prepared. "Well, first how about a tour?"

"Of the morgue?" Coralee really didn't want to go gallivanting around the rest of the lab. You never know who you'll run into.

"Of course." Picking up on her hesitation, she decided to let the rest of the tour wait until later. Let the girl get a little more comfortable before risking any unpleasant situations.

They were just finishing up the 'tour' when the door opened. Coralee visible tensed, but did not turn around until she heard a male voice.

"Doctor, do you have the autopsy results on the Hawkins case yet?"

Coralee turned around at last and faced a red-headed man who was eyeing her with veiled curiosity.

"It's right here." Alexx thumbed through a stack of papers on her desk, found what she needed, and handed it to him. "Horatio, this is my new intern, Coralee Prynne. Coralee, this is Lt. Horatio Caine. He's in charge of the lab."

"Pleased to meet you, Sir." Coralee shook his hand.

"The pleasure," He intoned in his usual, halting fashion. "Is all mine, Miss Prynne." So Calleigh's sister had a different last name. At least it would reduce confusion around the lab. Alexx had warned him that she was starting today, so he'd made a point to come down to the morgue to greet the girl properly – before she could form an unsavory opinion of the lab, and to try to put the poor girl at ease. Her first visit had ended in fireworks, and he hoped she would be able to perform.

"Coralee's going to be here with us this week, and all summer long." She wasn't telling him anything he didn't know, but Alexx wanted to make sure the girl felt as much at ease as possible.

"Well," Horatio was impressed with the small girl so far. "Welcome. If you need anything, my office is right upstairs."

"Thank you, Sir."

Horatio smiled at her manners. Her voice was so much like Calleigh's, the accent so similar. They were spitting images of each other, too. One blonde, one brunette. He wondered if Calleigh would ever give the girl a chance.

"Thank you, Alexx." He waved the report and exited.

The first person Horatio ran into upstairs was Natalia. "Ms. Boa Vista," He got her attention. "Could you do a favor for me?"

"Sure, H." She smiled at him. "What do you need?"

"Alexx has a new intern." Horatio's concern extended beyond the strict members of his 'team' so to speak. "Today is her first day. I was wondering if you would introduce yourself to her."

"You want me to make nice with the new girl?" Natalia was a little confused.

"Yes."

"Why? I mean, I'll do it, of course." She realized it wasn't necessarily a great career move to question her boss. "But do you mind if I ask why?"

"It seems," He eyed her critically. "That she might need some allies here."

Natalia was the one person who would understand what it was like to need an ally more than anyone else at the lab.

"I'll check this stuff back in to evidence, and go introduce myself." She assured him, smiling.

"Thank you." He said simply and left.

"Sure thing." She called after him.

Opening the door to the morgue, Natalia scanned the room, eyes falling on the object of her trip.

"Natalia!" Alexx greeted her warmly. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks." She liked Alexx. The coroner was always nice to her. "I just came down to introduce myself. I heard we have a new warm body."

"I sure do." She got Coralee's attention and turned her around. "Natalia, this is Coralee. Coralee, this is Natalia. She's our resident DNA analysis expert."

"Ah. PCR." Coralee shook the woman's hand. "Takes longer than on television, huh?"

"Yes!" Natalia smiled. The new girl had a sense of humor. She'd probably fit in fine. "Have you worked in a DNA lab before?"

"Not a forensic lab." Coralee explained. "I worked in a molecular biology and biochemistry lab for a few years. We did a lot of DNA sequencing."

"Well, if you ever want to talk geek, I'm just upstairs." She smiled again. Coralee was so familiar; she just couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"Thank you." Coralee was touched. The taller woman seemed genuine and friendly. Maybe working here wasn't a mistake after all.

"See, Honey." Alexx comforted her after Natalia left. "It's really a friendly place to work. The people are nice."

_"I just have to stay away from Calleigh."_ Alexx heard her mutter this under her breath, and decided to press the issue later. She figured everyone else in the lab would be down to say 'hello' as well. Horatio would probably see to it that Coralee felt as comfortable as possible, given the situation. He could be terse at times, but Alexx knew he had a good heart.

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A/N: More later. Maybe tonight if I'm feeling...conscious. If not tonight, more Saturday or Sunday. Hopefully I can finish it by Sunday night. Argh. Pressure. R/R


	33. Play Ball!

Author's Note: Props to reviewer Emma, who is, thus far, the only person to write about the written connection between Coralee's last name and the book _The Scarlet Letter_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne (others may have made the connection, but I can't read your minds). That was not an oversight. All of the characters that I named in this story, with the exception of Janey Kinsy and Eric's friend Nate, were named either for classic literature or what the name itself means. There is much more symbolism embedded in this, but I'm not sure anyone was looking for it. Go grab a book of baby names, watch _The Sixth Sense,_ and let me know what you figure out. Or not. Someone asked for more E/C info. Here you go. Read, enjoy, and review.

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Coralee managed to make it almost an entire shift before her fears were realized. She was busy cataloguing evidence just the way Dr. Woods showed her when she heard the doors open and the unmistakable tap of women's heels on the morgue floor. There had been enough visitors to the morgue that day that Coralee was getting good at identifying people by the sound of their walk. Natalia had a longer stride length, and her heels made a heavy, solid sound. Dr. Woods wore heels, but her stride was even longer. Plus, she had a tendency to pause at random times. The men were all easy. Eric tended to shuffle a little with one foot. She'd discovered that when he'd come by to greet her earlier that afternoon. Lt. Caine walked as soft as a mouse. She'd met the younger guy, too. Ryan, maybe? He had a cocky swagger that she wasn't sure he deserved. He seemed nice enough, just…she wasn't sure. This person, these footsteps, were definitely different. She did the math, and kept her back to the door. Maybe, if she was lucky, it either wouldn't be Calleigh or, if it was, she wouldn't notice her.

"Excuse me?" Calleigh was actually trying to play nice. "I'm looking for Alexx."

That voice was unmistakable. Masking her accent carefully, she tried to sound as northern as possible. "She just stepped out for a minute. She'll be right back."

Calleigh was confused for a moment. She remembered Coralee having an a similar accent to her. Maybe this wasn't her? But Eric had warned her.

"Um. Well, then. Perhaps you can help me?" Calleigh continued, smiling. Maybe Eric was wrong. "I'm looking for the bullet Alexx extracted from the Dobson case."

Coralee looked across the table without raising her head. She'd strategically placed her chair with her back to the door. Bad feng shui? Yes. Better for her peace of mind? Also, yes. The bullet was tagged and safely in an evidence envelope…and it was sitting across the table just out of her reach. She was going to have to physically get up and hand it to her. That meant turning around. This was going to suck. She closed her eyes and willed some strength.

Rising from her chair, she reached across the table and grabbed the envelope. Holding it up over her shoulder, she waved it a little without turning around. "Here you go." She winced as she heard herself speak. The way she said the word 'go' was amiss. Too southern. Her 'cover' was blown.

Calleigh grabbed the envelope from the girl's hand. "Thanks." She snapped.

Coralee heaved a sigh of relief when she heard the door snap shut. That was uncomfortable, but at least it was uneventful.

She wasn't as lucky the next time Calleigh came to visit, however. It was Monday morning, and she was holding things for Dr. Woods while she performed an autopsy when the Calleigh walked into the morgue. Apparently her lucky red scrubs weren't doing the trick today.

"Good morning, Alexx." She greeted the doctor cheerfully, and pointedly ignored Coralee. Coralee found she wasn't too upset about the slight. At least she wasn't being yelled at.

"Good morning, Calleigh." Alexx looked up as she spoke, and noted the absence of a greeting to the third person in the room. "What can I do for you today?"

"I just have a few questions." She'd been up early, called out to a crime scene. "At the scene this morning, there was a lot of bruising on the torso. The left side." She explained. "There were no other external injuries, right?" Alexx nodded. "Where there broken ribs? Did they puncture a lung?"

"What do you think, Coralee?" She pointed to the lungs as they sat in a metal bowl on the table.

Coralee looked up at Alexx in horror. She'd tried her best to shrink into the background during the entire exchange. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Were the lungs punctured?" Alexx repeated.

"Um. No." She looked only at the doctor. "There was no blood in the plural cavity, and the lungs are both expanded to their full size. There was no hemothorax."

"Very good." Alexx raised her eyebrows and nodded at Calleigh, who was doing her best to not scowl.

"So," Calleigh acted like Coralee hadn't been the one to speak. "What killed him?"

"Coralee," Alexx was putting her on the spot on purpose. "What do you think could have killed him?"

She placed the pan she'd been holding on the table, and pointed to the body with a gloved hand. "May I?" She gestured.

"Of course." Alexx was pleased with her progress. She'd never displayed any timidity at touching the bodies or organs, and this was a positive development. She would get a chance to test the girl's knowledge of clinical anatomy.

She placed her hand on the side of the body, searching for something. Silently counting backward as she moved her hands up a few inches, she suddenly stopped. "The bruise is centered over ribs eight through ten on the left lateral side of the body." She looked at Dr. Woods for approval, and received a nod. "My guess is a ruptured spleen. He bled to death. Internally."

Calleigh glanced at Alexx who nodded her confirmation. "A bruise that small killed him? Are the ribs even broken?"

"Fractured, but not displaced." Alexx pointed to the x-rays. "Coralee, can you explain that?"

"Um." This was worse than terrifying. "Whatever hit probably hit him hard, with enough force to break the ribs." She put her fingers tip to tip and rounded her hands to imitate the ribs. "When he was hit, the bones deformed and fractured, puncturing the spleen. But bone is resilient, and once the force was removed the bones sprang back into place?"

To say Alexx was impressed was really an understatement. She hadn't expected her to understand it that well. "Excellent work, Coralee. Don't phrase it like a question, though, Honey. You know what you're talking about." She rewarded her with a smile.

"So," Calleigh was mostly annoyed, but secretly she was a little impressed. Eric said this girl was a first year medical student. "Can you tell me anything about the murder weapon?"

Coralee didn't hear anything else that was spoken until Calleigh left the room. She knew the answers. She had to call Sarah at lunch and tell her all about it – well all about knowing the right answers. She couldn't tell her what the questions or the answers were because of confidentiality, but she could rejoice with her friend about not making a fool of herself.

"Coralee?" Alexx tried to get her attention. "Coralee!"

"Oh, sorry." She shook her head, bringing herself back to reality.

"Have you considered a career in forensic pathology?"

"I have." She admitted.

"Good."

Calleigh was silent in the hummer as Eric drove them to question a witness. He watched her carefully, trying to determine if she was upset with him.

"Cal?" He reached a hand across the front seat. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She looked at him and smiled. "I'm just thinking."

"About?" He prompted.

"I was in the morgue this morning."

Eric nodded, understanding that there was probably more to the story than just that.

"She was there." Still Eric remained silent. "Alexx kept having her answer the questions I asked."

"Did she?"

"Yeah." She sounded surprised.

Eric wasn't sure what to say. "So, is that bad?"

"No. No, it's not." She shook her head. "Is it weird that I was kind of proud of her?" Calleigh didn't understand the emotion. She had basically nothing but contempt for her, but seeing her in the morgue today, dressed in those red scrubs and explaining the cause of death to her with no prompting or hesitation – she'd felt…proud.

"I don't think it's weird at all." Eric was relieved by Calleigh's change of heart. Maybe she was going to soften on this after all.

"Eric?"

"Yeah, Cal?"

"Are you still coming over tonight?" Tomorrow was her day off, and she'd been planning something for Eric.

"Of course."

"Good." She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

Calleigh raced home after work, but not before instructing Eric to knock before entering today. She hustled around the house, putting the finishing touches on everything. She slipped a shirt on over her tank top and walked calmly to the door when she heard him knocking.

"Hey." She acted as if nothing was different as she opened the door and invited him inside.

"Cal?" He was confused by her outfit. "Since when are you a Uof M fan?"

"I'm not." She kissed him with a devilish look in her eye, then turned and grabbed a shopping bag. "But you are. Put this on."

He opened the bag and pulled out a jersey similar to the one Calleigh was wearing. "Cal?"

"Just put it on!"

He grinned, and slipped the garment over his head.

"Come with me." She led him into the living room, which had been decorated in green and orange. "Sit." She ordered, pushing him down onto the sofa. "I'll be right back."

Eric was confused. He looked around the room, and took note of the additional seating that had been placed in the living room. There was more knocking at the front door, and he heard Calleigh call from the kitchen. "Can you answer that?"

"Sure thing." He opened the door and his jaw dropped. Six of his college buddies and their wives or girlfriends stood on Calleigh's front porch.

"What?" He didn't know what to say.

"Eric," Calleigh teased him. "Are you going to let my guests in?"

He moved aside as twelve people filed into the living room with streamers and noise makers and faces painted in green and orange.

"Beer?" Calleigh asked as she sat down a tray of hot dogs on the coffee table. There were resounding "yes's" from the crowd, so she went to fetch the desired beverages, with Eric close behind.

"What's going on?" He was thrilled, but didn't really understand.

"We all tried to get tickets, but we couldn't." She explained. "So we're tailgating here instead." She handed him a tray of condiments. "Take these and put them on the coffee table, okay?"

"Are you ready?" Mike asked him.

"Sure." He still had no idea.

Eric went back into the kitchen to ask Calleigh for some more details. "The game, Eric." She kissed him. "We're watching the baseball game. Take these." She handed him bowls of chips, then balanced some bowls of dip on his arms. "I'll be right out."

She grabbed a bowls of popcorn and peanuts and joined the crew once more. Eric had the television on already, settling himself down and opening two beers; one for him, and one for Calleigh.

"You're the best." He whispered in her ear as he handed her a beverage.

He had a great time watching the game with his buddies. Miami ended up losing, but the evening was one to remember all the same. He helped Calleigh clean up the mess (and it was a large one) after everyone was gone. Pinning her against the counter, he kissed her deeply. "You are amazing, and I love you." He spoke the words into her mouth as he kissed her. "Thank you."

"I'm glad you had a good time."

He kissed her again, tasting the tangy beer and spicy nacho cheese. "You're incredible." He broke the kiss long enough to look her in the eyes. The entire evening had been a wonderful surprise. Calleigh had made all classic ballpark foods, bought all the ballpark beer. She'd even thrown popcorn at him when he'd said the only thing missing was a fat guy throwing popcorn at his head. "You're not a fat guy, so it's still not quite the same." He'd grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap. "But I don't do this for the fat guy." He'd kissed her there, in front of all his friends, turning Calleigh's face an embarrassingly deep shade of red, but she really hadn't minded.

"So," Calleigh pushed back against him as he pinned her against the counter. "I guess you had fun?"

"You have no idea." He was touched. She'd looked up his friends, invited them all over to her house, cooked for them all. He was almost speechless.

"Wanna have a little more?"

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A/N: R&R!


	34. Saponification

Author's Note: I'm sick, so this is really short. Must sleep and dose myself with vitamin C and zinc. Enjoy. R/R!

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Eric was in what could only be described as a chipper mood the next morning. "Good morning!" He greeted everyone he met in the hall as he walked to the break room. They grumbled their hellos, but they did not have nearly the enthusiasm that Eric had.

"Morning, Coralee." He tried again when she breezed through the door.

"Good morning." She smiled back at him on her way to the coffee pot.

"Here." He held his mug out to her. "I took the last cup."

"No, it's okay." She opened the cabinets looking for the container. "I'll make some more."

"That one." He pointed to the hanging cabinets.

"Thanks." She opened the door and stretched, her crisp red shirt riding up above the waist of her trousers as she did so.

Eric hadn't meant to see, honestly he hadn't, but he gasped. "Coralee." His mind was working overtime, running possible scenarios and outcomes. "What happened?" She had bluish bruises and angry red scratches on her torso under her shirt that reached around to her back.

"Oh." Coralee blushed, embarrassed and pulled her shirt back down to cover everything. "It's nothing."

"That doesn't look like nothing." He couldn't help it. Concern oozed out of him. His mother raised him right, and he didn't take well to the kind of man who would hit a woman – especially a tiny one. Especially one that was related to Calleigh. He knew he was being overprotective, but he didn't much care. She was a sweet kid, and she didn't deserve whatever this was.

"I swear." She sounded so much like Calleigh right now, protesting and promising she was fine when he knew better. "It was an accident. My fault, even."

"It was your fault that some guy beat the crap out of you?" He moved closer to her to lower his voice, concern darkening his already dark brown eyes. He'd dealt with this kind of guy before in this line of work. They're always so careful to leave the bruises where no one will be able to see them – and she was blaming herself?

"No, no." She'd never considered that someone else would see the marks. "I was playing soccer with the guys from my class."

"And one of them decided to maul you?" He was mostly relieved that she was safe, but still upset about the circumstances. He'd played sports with girls before, and he had the sense to pull back and not seriously injure them.

"No." She was actually laughing. "I slide tackled their sweeper."

"Seriously?" Eric was flabbergasted. She was so…tiny and fragile-looking.

"Yeah." She patted her battle scars on her side. "He tried to hang on, but I took him down with me."

"Huh." Eric had a new respect for small women. "Is anything broken?"

"Naw." She measured out the coffee and pushed 'start.' "Just a little sore."

That looked like more than a "little" sore. Bruises and scratches five or six inches long. Angry-looking scratches at that. "Is slide tackling legal?" He was a little rusty on the rules, but he remembered that being a foul.

"If you don't get caught it is. Besides, do you know of a guy who's going to admit to being taken down by a girl?"

He had to admit she had a point. He wouldn't have called attention to it, either – especially if he'd been the one she tackled. "Not exactly." He saw the look in her eyes then, and it was a look he was familiar with. "You're sort of the secret weapon, aren't you?"

"Maybe." There was that look again.

"Okay." He wasn't sure he believed her, but she was pretty convincing. "You sure you're fine? I can still have a talk with the guy…or send Ryan…they should be more careful if women are playing." It wasn't exactly a police matter – not to mention it was way out of their jurisdiction, but he figured the two of them could work out something. Ryan may let his mouth run away with him at times, but he has a good heart. Eric knew he'd be just as upset if he knew.

"Trust me." She assured him, touched by his concern. It was actually nice, she admitted to herself. Someone cared. "I can take care of myself."

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Calleigh relished her day off. An entire day all to herself. It was like heaven. She cleaned her house, did some laundry, and went for a nice run by the ocean. Then she took a nice long bath with a cup of tea and a new magazine. Well, actually, it was the latest issue of The Journal of the Forensic Science Society, but she figured that since it was a genuine interest, the article on shotgun ballistics counted as pleasure reading.

Shaking the bubbles off her hand, she quickly wiped it on a nearby towel and grabbed her cell phone. "Hey, there." She loved it when Eric called her on her day off.

"Hey." His voice was all low and gravelly. "What are you up to?"

"Keeping busy." She teased him.

"Oh, yeah? How?" She had that tone again. He loved that tone.

"Bubble bath." She dismissed with a sigh, as if it was something she got to do every day.

Eric's eyes rolled toward heaven at the thought of Calleigh all…naked and soapy in the bathtub. "Cal, you're killing me here."

She smiled knowingly at the tension in his voice. "You did ask."

"Tell me you're kidding?" His voice sounded tight.

"I can't. I'd be lying." She heard his audible sigh even over the phone, and tried to change the subject. Poor guy. He was at work, after all. "Any interesting cases?"

"Floater in the canal." The distraction was welcome. "Again."

"Foul play?"

"Well he didn't just go for a swim and get tired. And I'm guessing he didn't shoot himself in the back of the head, too."

"Close range?" Suddenly her ballistics article wasn't all that interesting.

"Looks to be. Stippling around the entry wound."

"Execution-style." She finished for him. "Should I come in?"

"Nah." He knew she'd react this way. "Seems pretty open and shut. Enjoy your day off."

"What caliber was it?" She couldn't let it rest.

"Forty-five."

"Lots of fire power for an execution." She frowned, her day of relaxation long forgotten. "Do you have the bullet from autopsy?"

"No. I have the one that went straight through his cerebellum and exited through the mouth."

"And?"

"DPX."

"That's for hunting. Does a lot of damage. Heavy stuff." She was disgusted. "Prints?"

"Working on it." He laughed. She was always on the job, even when she wasn't there. "Finish your bath."

"I think I will."

"See you later."

"Yeah. You're place or mine?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Eric, pick one."

"You relax today. I'll come over."

"Okay. I love you. Be careful."

"I always am." He never got tired of hearing her say it. "And I love you, too."

They hung up, and Eric hopped down out of the hummer, gathered his kit, and made his way inside. It was going to be a long day, and he couldn't wait until it was over.

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R/R!!!


	35. The Things That Come Between Us

Author's Note: I spent the day camped out on my sofa with tea and zinc lozenges trying to cure myself. It hasn't worked yet, but I DID accomplish the completion of chapter 35 - in between naps and hours spent not really watching television. So, I hope you like it. If not (and especially if you do!), then feel free to click that little button at the bottom of the chapter and tell me your thoughts. I don't own the show or the characters. Don't sue me. If you do, I'll just cough on you and give you my plague. So there.

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"Calleigh?" Eric secretly hoped that she'd still be in the bathtub, but it seemed like a lot to ask. It had been, he checked his watch, five hours and twelve minutes, since they'd talked.

"Calleigh?" He called louder, frowning. He checked out back, and found it locked. He sat the bags of takeout down on the kitchen counter and continued his search. He looked through each room in the hallway. Pushing the door to her bedroom open, he smiled at what he saw. Calleigh was fast asleep in one of his old tee-shirts that he'd left at her house. Damn. She looked good wearing his shirt, and so cute curled up around his pillow. She rarely napped during the day; citing its adverse effect on her nightly sleep cycle. He carefully lowered himself onto the bed and scooted over to her. He gently removed the pillow, and replaced it with himself.

"Mmm." She murmured in her sleep, a sweet smile gracing her delicate features. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and took a deep breath, inhaling his comforting scent in her sleep.

Eric smiled as well and closed his eyes. A quick nap before dinner would be nice.

"Eric." He heard her whisper through his sleep. "Eric. It's late. We should make dinner."

"Later." He wasn't ready to let go, yet.

"No, not later." Calleigh kissed him. He was so cute when he was tired. "We should eat dinner now. Then you can sleep more. Come on." She pulled on his arm. "Up."

"I'm tired." He protested as he stumbled down the hallway. He was awake enough to admire the look of Calleigh's exposed legs, mostly bare since she only had on lacy underwear and his tee-shirt.

"You'll make it." She was not one to play games.

They reheated the pasta he'd bought and ate together at the table.

"Did you get the guy?" She was referring, of course, to the case he'd told her about earlier in the day.

"Not yet. You'll probably get stuck cleaning up the mess tomorrow." It turned out the victim had been shot twice. Only the second bullet penetrated. Alexx hadn't retrieved the first one until late in the day her caseload was so heavy.

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Calleigh was running late the next morning, a rarity for her, but, she reasoned; she'd been distracted. It wasn't her fault. Neither one of them had time for breakfast or coffee, so she'd just run out the door and driven like mad to get to work on time. Apparently her day was destined to be bad, because the first person she ran into was, of course, Coralee. _"It figures."_ She thought to herself, and then remembered her conversation with Eric a few days ago.

"Good morning." She offered a little stiffly in her half-sister's direction.

Coralee just stared at her with a confused look on her face. "Um. Good morning?" Civility was new, and she wasn't sure what to think about it.

Calleigh huffed a little and brushed past her quickly, retreating to her lab leaving Coralee standing in the hallway perplexed.

"Morning, Coralee." Eric greeted her, in a similar hurry as he whizzed around her.

"Morning." She called after him, but he was already gone. Shrugging her shoulders, she headed down the hall to Horatio's office with the report he'd requested. She knocked softly three times and waited to be invited in.

"Ms. Prynne." He gestured to her. "Please, come in."

She entered and stood awkwardly for a moment while he finished up whatever he had been doing when she interrupted him. He was testing her; seeing how long she would stand quietly waiting before she spoke up. One minute ticked by. Then two, three. Coralee stood nervously, but perfectly still clutching the file to her chest. When the eighth minute passed, Horatio stole a glance in her direction. Her face told him nothing, but her body language did. Her arms were crossed over her chest defensively; she was board-stiff and rod-straight, and her eyes downcast staring at her shoes.

"Ms. Prynne." He felt for the girl. He was very good at reading body language. "Shut the door, please." Fear flashed in her eyes as she looked at him briefly before quickly moving to comply. "Have a seat." He nodded to an empty chair across the desk from him. She sat, but anxiously perched herself on the edge of the seat.

"Ms. Prynne," Her face was masked again, unreadable. "How are you liking the internship?"

"Oh, very much, sir." Her eyes widened with excitement, and Horatio knew she was being truthful. "I'm so grateful for the opportunity to…"

He shook his head and waved, trying to get her attention and stop her. "You don't need to keep thanking us. I am just…concerned…about the work environment."

"Oh, everyone has been extremely nice." She assured him. Even Calleigh had spoken courteously to her this morning.

"Are you experiencing any hostility? Pranks?" He knew of the animosity between Calleigh and Coralee, and the boys predilection for playing practical jokes on the 'newbie.'

"No. No." She shook her head gravely. "Honestly, sir. Everyone has gone out of their way to be nice."

He remained silent for a minute or two, mulling over what to say next. "Ms. Prynne…"

Coralee was terrified. He was going to fire her – she knew it.

"Ms. Prynne." He continued. "Dr. Woods has spoken of you highly to me."

She blushed furiously and ducked her head shyly. "She is very generous."

"She is very impressed with your abilities." He continued. "Am I to believe that you will be joining us again this summer?"

Coralee's head shot back up and she stared at him in disbelief. "Do you mean?"

He only raised his eyebrows at her.

"I'm not fired?" She said it to herself, but he caught it anyway.

"Why would you be fired, Ms. Prynne?" Horatio immediately felt guilty. She was afraid of him, and he'd taken her into his office with the door closed for a private conversation about her job. Of course she thought she was fired. "No. You're far from fired."

"Oh." She suddenly remembered the question. "Yes. Yes, of course I'll be back this summer!" Her eyes were glistening with tears both from fear and excitement.

"Good." That matter was settled. "Now, do you have a report for me?"

"Oh, yes." She stood quickly, regaining her professional bearing and handed him a now slightly wrinkled manila folder. "Here you are."

He took the folder, creased from her clutching it so tightly and smiled. "I don't bite, Ms. Prynne."

"Yes, sir. Of course." She stood awkwardly, not knowing if she could leave or not. "Is there anything…?"

"Not at all. You're free to go." He watched as she escaped quickly. "Thank Alexx for me!" She'd put a rush on his autopsy results, and he did appreciate it.

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Eric was busy and hard at work running samples through the GCMS, but his mind was not totally focused on the job. Thankfully, this was a relatively brain-free procedure, and he'd done it so many times that he practically moved by muscle memory. Measure, add reagent, inject sample, repeat. He pondered the conversation he'd had with Coralee the morning before. She could be telling him the truth. The story was plausible, but something didn't sit right about it. He'd seen something in her eyes – she was hiding something. He didn't blame her; she had every right to hide things from him. They weren't friends or anything, but his male ego and well-bred protectiveness of women just wouldn't let it rest. He'd considered saying something to Calleigh, but she really did not seem like the best possible candidate if he was trying to engender concern in a third party. Natalia, though – this might be right up her alley. He'd seen them eating lunch together in the break room a few times, and they seemed to get along okay. Finishing up the rest of the samples, he started the machine, and walked down to DNA, hoping Natalia was alone.

"Eric." She greeted him, lab graciously devoid of extraneous bodies. "I got a match on the blood spatter. He's in CODIS."

"Michael Bruce." He read the printout. "Prior convictions for aggravated assault and one for domestic violence." He smiled at her. "Whaddya bet the gun he used isn't registered?"

"Considering it'd be illegal for him to carry one, I'd say pretty good." She was still pipetting, lips pursed in concentration. "Calleigh's already running it through the database to see if the gun matches the one pulled from the assault case."

"Great." She was a miracle worker sometimes.

:Natalia notices how he didn't leave right away. He acted nervous, eyes darting around the room, refusing to meet her gaze. "Eric?" She smirked at him. "Can I help you with something?"

"Uh. Yeah, yeah." Maybe this wasn't such a great idea.

"Spill." His behavior was so uncharacteristic of him.

"Uh, this might be way out of line, and it's okay. Just tell me if it is! I was just…" He trailed off, not wanting to offend her. This was a mistake; he'd just have to take care of things himself.

"Eric, out with it." She goaded him again. "You're not trying to offend me, so just say it. I won't be mad."

He took a deep breath and blurted it out quickly. "I think someone's hitting Coralee, Alexx's new intern."

Natalia frowned and said nothing, only stopped what she was doing and studied his face. He wasn't kidding, and she understood now why he was so reticent to bring up the topic with her. He didn't want to open up any old wounds, but he also knew she was the one person in the lab who would best be able to appreciate the situation.

"What makes you think that?" She finally broke the silence.

"I saw some bruises. And scratches. On her side." He indicated on himself the location of said injuries.

"Did you ask her about them?"

"She said they were sports injuries."

"What sport?"

"Soccer. Said she slide tackled someone."

"Okay, why don't you believe her?" That sounded reasonable to her.

He hesitated again. He realized that he'd have to be careful about the wording. If he let something slip, he would risk 'outing' the relationship he and Calleigh had. "Something I saw in her eyes." He stated simply.

"You don't know her that well." Natalia chided. "How do you know what that look means? There are 'other' ways to get scratches, you know?" She wagged her eyebrows suggestively to let him know what she meant.

"Not that kind of marks." He shook his head sadly. "And I've seen that look before. I know that look. She's hiding something. I can feel it."

"CSI Delko, I didn't know we based our theories on hunches?" She quipped, then softened. "Where have you seen that look before?"

"Calleigh." He said it without thinking, and then eyes opened wide when he realized what he'd done.

"Calleigh?" Natalia knew they were close, even suspected on more than one occasion that it extended beyond that, but she wasn't sure what to make of this. "What does Calleigh have to do with Coralee? I wouldn't read too much into that. I mean, it's not like they're the same person with the same…" She trailed off as realization dawned on her. "Are they related?" She'd never put it together before, but now that he mentioned them together, they did look similar – even act similar.

"I didn't say anything." He raised his hands in gesture of innocence.

"They are, aren't they?" Natalia's brain was working in overtime now, comparing facial features, figures, mannerisms. "She hasn't said anything. I knew she looked familiar."

Eric smiled as her words echoed his thoughts from the day he'd met Coralee. "They aren't exactly close." He warned her. "It's a sore subject. And you didn't hear it from me."

"Okay." She knew why he was so persistent about the look he'd seen now. "I'll talk to her; see what I can find out."

"Thanks, Nat." He was truly grateful. "Just…be nice, you know…don't…" He knew it would be unnecessary to remind her, but he had to anyway. It's just part of who he is.

"I'll be tactful." She reminded him. "Don't worry."

"I really appreciate it."

"Sure."

Eric hoped he'd done the right thing.

Natalia frowned once he'd left her lab. This was going to be…tricky to say the least. She knew from experience how touchy a subject this was going to be. If Coralee was in some kind of trouble, she was unlikely to go to the police if she hadn't already – at least not until it was too late to save her from a lot of physical pain and heartache. Glancing at the clock on the wall across the room, she figured it was close enough to lunch time. She put her microfuge tubes in the incubator, snapped off her gloves and washed her hands, and went off in search of her lunch buddy.

"Hey, you hungry?" She asked. Coralee didn't look that busy.

"Sure." She rose and cleared off her workspace. "I'll clean up and meet you upstairs?"

"Want to go out?" Natalia figured it would be more comfortable for both of them if they weren't in the lab.

"Where?" She needed the place to be somewhere inexpensive. She was living on loans right now, and pinching every penny.

"I brought a lunch, so let's just go to a park or something." She knew Coralee was watching her budget.

"Sure." She washed her hands. "Sounds good."

Natalia checked out with Horatio, letting him know she was kind of on a personal mission of sorts, and drove them to a nearby park.

"It's nice here." Coralee hadn't spent much time in Miami.

"Yeah." The ensuing conversation was going to be a difficult one, probably for both of the girls. "I have to tell you the real reason why we're here." She looked Coralee square in the eye. "Eric said something to me, and I just want to make sure you're okay." That wasn't a very good opening.

"Eric." Coralee knew exactly what he's said to her. "Please, I'm fine."

"He said you had a lot of bruising and some nasty scratches." Natalia dove right in. "If someone is hurting you, you know we can help, right?" She was a cop, after all.

"I told him the truth." She shook her head. "We play soccer every Saturday. I took a guy down, and have the bruises to prove it. That's it." She said it with finality.

"Yeah." Natalia remembered what else Eric had told her, and pushed on. "So no one is hitting you?" She paused long enough for Coralee to shake her head, but noted that she didn't meet her eyes.

"Okay, look." _Uncomfortable_. "I've been in situations like this before. It's okay to ask for help."

"He's not hitting me." Coralee finally said in a strangled voice. "He just won't leave me alone."

"Who?"

"My ex."

"Husband?"

"Yeah."

"What's he doing?" Natalia's heart went out to the girl. _"Been there, done that_." She thought. "How is he bothering you?"

"Phone calls. Shows up at my apartment all the time." A bright red flush passed over her face. "He just won't go away is all."

"Has he made any threats?" A shake of the head let her know he hadn't. "How long have you been divorced?"

"I left him a year and a half ago." She muttered. "The divorce was finalized in June."

"And he still won't go away?"

"No." Truthfully, she was a little upset, but she was also grateful to Eric and Natalia for their concern. "He hasn't done anything illegal, really, so the police won't do anything. So far he's just being a nuisance."

"So," Natalia wasn't sure what to do now. "How can I help?"

"I'll take care of it."

"I'm sure we can do something." Coralee shook her head vehemently.

"Nothing. You really don't need to." She pleaded. "It'll just make him mad." She'd put up with his temper long enough to know how poorly he took to other people meddling in what he considered to be 'their' business.

"Where does he live?" She ignored the girl's protests.

"I think he moved to Florida when I did."

"What's his name?" She could find it out on her own, but it seemed less intrusive if Coralee told her of her own free will.

"Really, please." She really did not want anyone to do anything. "It's fine. Don't say anything to anyone, please?"

"Cor." She shook her head sadly, remembering how she had also tried to take care of everything by herself. "You don't have to do this alone. Sometimes it's better to let other people in and let them help you."

"I don't live in this county." Coralee tried one last angle. "It's not your jurisdiction. You can't do anything."

She did have a point. "Will you call me, if he shows up again?"

"Sure." She lied. Coralee had no intention of involving anyone else in her own personal drama.

Natalia noted that she had never said the bastard's name.

______________________________

"Calleigh!" Eric smiled at her as she walked into Trace. His day always brightened when she was in the room with him. "What can I do for you?" He added an extra dose of sexy to his smile and gave her a knowing look.

"Nothing." She slumped down onto a stool beside him. "I'm bored. I finished up my two cases and the three that night shift left."

"And you're looking for something to do?" He quirked an eyebrow at her, knowing what her response would be in advance.

"No." She sighed. "Just looking for some company."

"It's almost time to go home, why don't you talk to H. and dip out early?"

"Sets a bad example." She was ever the consummate professional, never cutting corners, never taking shortcuts.

"I can keep you company." He nudged her, their bodies hidden from view by the lab benches.

"That you can." She agreed softly, catching his entendre and only partially ignoring it.

"My place?" He glanced around the glass windowed room to detect any eavesdroppers in the vicinity.

"Yeah." She had a bag packed and ready in her car, full of her clothes for the next day, hair products, makeup – all the essentials.

"Do you want to do anything tonight" He worried that their relationship was getting too complacent – too comfortable – for her.

"If you do." She was beat – physically and emotionally she was exhausted, and wanted nothing more than a relaxing evening spent in the arms of the man she loved.

"I asked you first." He teased her, watching the way she bit her bottom lip deep in thought. "Just tell me." He urged gently. "If there's something that you want to do just tell me."

"Could we just stay in tonight?" She liked the idea of a quiet night alone with him.

"Of course." He would have kissed her right there in the lab if the walls were made of anything but glass. The look on her face was so…sultry…he clenched his jaw and made a quick prayer to the heaven's for strength to resist this gorgeous woman.

"See you later?" She glanced at her wrist watch. Only an hour to go.

"You bet."

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Three hours later Calleigh was curled up on the couch content with a glass of red wine and Eric's relaxing embrace. "This is nice." She tipped her head up to meet his eyes.

"Hmm?" He wasn't sure if she was referring to the wine or the evening in general.

"This." She waved her hand in front of her. "Us." They'd never really talked about it – talked about "them."

"How so?" He agreed, but wasn't quite certain what she was referring to.

"This. Us." She repeated. "It's nice. We sort of skipped that whole awkward 'getting-to-know-you' phase. It's nice."

"So, you think we should have done this sooner?" He was only half teasing, gauging her reaction to his prodding question.

"Mmm." She sounded perfectly content. "Definitely."

He said nothing, but noted the proud swell he felt deep down inside at her affirmation. He'd spent so many years watching her – being held at a distance. He'd seen her heart broken by the men she dated, and it had hurt his heart as well. Hagan – he found he lacked the powers to articulate his disdain for a man who would commit suicide in front of the woman he supposedly loves. She'd dated a few other men off and on, at times he even suspected she'd had a thing with Horatio. Then there was Jake. Detective Jake Berkley. Eric hated him on a deeply personal level. Professionally, he respected him enough to tolerate his presence, but on a baser level, he could not deny the instinct he'd felt to take him out behind the lab and beat him senseless for hurting Calleigh over and over again. She'd never said anything to him, of course. Calleigh would never drag her personal life into work with her, but he'd seen it in her eyes. He'd seen the sadness, the pain that weighed heavily on her and prevented that stunning sparkle in her emerald eyes that he'd grown to love so much.

And he had to admit; she was right. There truly was something to be said for dating your best friend. He already knew her quirks, her likes and dislikes, and she knew his. He knew her fears – or at least some of them – and they had a nice foundation, a history together of mutual trust and respect that made them work so much better on this newer, romantic level of intimacy. Eric remembered to give silent thanks daily for her presence in his life. He had never felt the need to pretend, to cover up his true self with Calleigh. She already knew all about him. She had seen him at his best and at his absolutely worst, and she still stayed. She still…loved him. And he loved her. His heart fluttered in his chest a few times as he thought about how much she meant to him.

"I love you." He kissed the side of her head and smoothed her hair away from her face with a free hand.

She turned in his arms again, eyes shining with that twinkle he loved so much. "I love you, too, ya know."

"Yeah." He kissed her temple. "I know." It was a good thing to know.

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A/N: It's your turn now! R/R


	36. Under Pressure

Author's Note: Tricia plague update - still sick, but feeling much better. I had lots of time today to type, so here go you. I hope somebody likes it. R/R

__________________

The rest of the week passed without too much incident for Coralee. She loved working at the crime lab with Dr. Woods; the doctor was a real role model, the kind of person Coralee had bee looking for all her life – someone to look up to. She had only worked at the lab for nine days, but her break was over, and it was time for her go back to school.

"I'll see you in the summer?" She'd asked as she'd hugged Alexx goodbye after her last shift.

"You better, baby!" She hugged the younger girl tightly. What a find! She had an inkling that Coralee would really blossom during the summer. It wouldn't be long, though. Her classes would be over in early May, so Alexx wouldn't be without her sidekick for too long.

"Calleigh!" Alexx called out to the blonde CSI when she spotted her in the parking lot.

"Alexx." She greeted her friend. "I haven't seen you in forever." It was her own fault, of course, but it was still true. She had avoided the morgue as much as possible when Coralee was working there, and after she'd left Calleigh had just gotten caught up in work. They hadn't had a really gruesome crime in a week or so, and Calleigh hadn't needed to have Alexx explain ME speak for her in a while.

"Calleigh, I was just wondering how you are doing?" She drew out the last part of the sentence, watching Calleigh's face carefully for anything of import.

"I'm fine, how are you?"

"Pretty good." She had an ulterior motive for this conversation, and she planned on getting to the point. "Listen, you do know that my intern is coming back to work in two weeks, right?"

"I do now, why?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"Alexx, I'm fine." It had bothered her at first, but honestly she didn't have to interact with the girl as much as she'd thought anyway. She bit back the nagging guilt and pasted a smile on her face. "But thank you."

"You just remember what I said." She wagged her index finger at Calleigh in a motherly fashion.

Calleigh was confused, but only momentarily as memory surfaced in her brain. _"There's nothing more important than family."_ Her words echoed in her mind, danced off her anger and confused her. "I remember, Alexx."

"You do that." She gave her a stern look and walked to her car.

Calleigh just shook her head and smiled. Alexx could be so…motherly sometimes. Shaking off the interaction, Calleigh climbed into the hummer and drove to the crime scene.

__________________________________

"We're finished!" Sarah squealed, jumping up from where she'd been waiting for Coralee to finish her exam.

"One year down." Coralee sighed tiredly. "How many left? A million?" She sagged against the wall, exhausted from the long weeks of nonstop studying.

"Come one." Sarah grabbed her arm and led her into the warm Florida sunshine. "Let's go celebrate."

"I can't go to the club with you." Coralee protested. "I have to work tomorrow."

"What?" She was only a little annoyed with her friend, but she did want someone to celebrate with. "We just finished a WEEK of exams. Come on. Don't you ever rest?"

"I just want them to know I'm serious about this." She defended.

"Fine." Sarah settled. "No drinking. How about a little retail therapy? What always makes up feel better, no matter what?"

"Shoe shopping!" Coralee shouted happily. "Count me in!"

The girls each treated themselves to a new pair of shoes. Sarah chose a pair of ridiculously high heels to wear out that night. Coralee, much to her friend's chagrin, chose a stylish pair of brown heels to wear to work. Now she could wear those brown pants of hers. The shoes were a little flashier than she usually bought, but Sarah – her self-proclaimed personal stylist – assured her that they were appropriate.

__________________________________________

"Ryan!" She greeted the young scientist. "How've you been?"

"Great!" He high-fived Coralee, smiling. "How 'bout you?"

"Can't complain." She grinned. "Nobody's listening even if I did, hey!" She'd developed a real rapport with the staff on the dayshift.

"Good to have you back." He called after her as she made her way to the morgue.

"Good to be back." And she'd worried that she wouldn't be welcome! Apparently everyone was glad to see her.

"Hey, Nat." Coralee poked her head into DNA and greeted her friend warmly.

"Hey, you're back." Natalia looked up briefly. "How'd exams go?"

"They went." She shook her head trying to rid herself of the memory. "At least they're over, that's all I can say."

"Well, I'm sure Alexx has plenty of paperwork for you to proof." She changed the volume dial on her micropipetter and jammed on a new tip. "Let's do lunch sometime, okay?"

"Sure." Coralee resumed her jaunt through the halls in her new shoes. Perhaps these shoes would bring her luck today. So far so good, anyway!

It was good to be back. She pushed the door to the morgue open and grinned. _"I'm back!"_ She thought to herself.

Calleigh was pulling her hair out trying to catalogue a multiple-round shooting. There were at least eleven different stria on the bullets she'd recovered, and that was just the tip of it. Hopefully Alexx could shed some light on something that would lead to a breakthrough.

"Hey, Alexx" She started talking even before she was all the way inside the door. "Have you had a chance to look at the…" She stopped moving altogether; speech and motion ceased.

Coralee straightened and turned, shocked to find herself face to face with her half-sister.

"I didn't know you were back." Calleigh stated lamely.

"It's my first day."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

They stood there awkwardly, both girls staring at the ground and trying to avoid looking at the other one.

"Dr. Woods will be right back."

"Okay."

Calleigh tamped down the urge to say something just as Alexx breezed back into the room. Sensing the tension between the sisters, she quickly gave Coralee a task, then turned her attention to Calleigh. "Calleigh, what can I do for you?" The words were pleasant, but the displeasure in her voice was unmistakable.

"I was just hoping that you were having more luck with the van Doren case than I am."

"Not yet, but we're not done yet." She narrowed her eyes and gave Calleigh a 'look.'

"I was nice." She whispered.

Alexx didn't respond; only glared at Calleigh some more, nodding in the direction of her intern.

Calleigh rolled her eyes and huffed, "Fine." Raising her voice to be heard across the room, she tried to get her 'sister's' attention. "Hey." No response. "Coralee?" The girl's head shot up and turned in the direction of the voice so quickly that Calleigh was surprised she didn't give herself whiplash or a herniated disc…or both. "Do you want to have lunch?"

Coralee looked from Calleigh to Alexx and back again; reading their facial expressions carefully. "No, thank you." She politely declined. "I have plans."

Calleigh smirked at Alexx and whispered, "See?" Then she left.

Alexx was genuinely confused by Coralee's response. "Why did you say no, Baby?" She moved to stand beside her helper. "It was a genuine offer."

"No it wasn't." Coralee could read people, too. "It was offered under duress." She suspected that Dr. Woods had coerced the invitation out of Calleigh, thereby making it ingenuous. She appreciated the effort – a little – but she had no intention of forcing any relationship with her half-sister.

Alexx was impressed – very impressed, actually. "You don't want to get to know her?"

"Not if she doesn't want to get to know me." Coralee hated having her business so public here. "And that is something she does not want to do."

Calleigh felt much vindicated, and more than a little relieved that Coralee had declined her invitation. Alexx was meddling, and she was displeased about it. At least Eric had the sense to keep his opinions to himself.

_______________________________

"Eric?" She asked him over dinner that evening. He had insisted upon taking her out to a nice Thai restaurant for dinner. He looked up from his plate of curry, waiting for her to continue. "What do you think about Coralee? Really."

"Do you want the honest truth?" He tread lightly, knowing how sensitive the subject was with her.

"Yeah, I think I do."

"I think she's a sweetheart." He tried to use only adjective that he'd just to describe a younger sibling. "She has a good heart, and she's…nice."

"What else?" She knew him well enough to know he was being evasive.

"What are you looking for?" He wasn't sure what she wanted to hear.

"I don't know." Calleigh put her fork down and took a sip of her water. "I was just thinking about it."

"What about?"

"I don't know." She grabbed her fork again and pushed the chicken around the bowl, swirling patterns in the sauce. "I was just thinking about my dad." He paused and took a deep breath. "I mean, he had this whole other family, and he never said anything about it." Eric just nodded, not really knowing where she was going with this.

"She…I don't know." She shuddered. "I feel kind of guilty, you know?"

"Guilty, why?"

"I don't really know." Calleigh was unaccustomed to analyzing her own emotions. She usually just suppressed them, ignored them until they went away or she forgot about them. "I really had it easy compared to her. I mean, we had the same father, and I got all these advantages that she didn't have. It seems kind of unfair. To her. This is crazy." She shook her head, and wrung her hands in her lap. "She's an orphan, did you know that?"

"No, I didn't." Eric spoke softly. This was news to him. "Did she tell you that?" He was unaware that the girls had spoken.

"No." Her voice was soft as well. "I did a search for her mother. I found a death certificate."

"Did it mention a COD?"

"Natural causes." It had been vague and unsatisfying. "She had a couple of arrests, though."

"For?"

"Possession and DUI."

"Mother of the year." Eric grumbled, unimpressed with Coralee's mother, but very awed by Coralee's personal and professional achievements. She had overcome a lot in her life, and she deserved some credit. "When did she die?"

"Huh? Oh." Calleigh thought for a moment. "2001."

Eric stared at her for a few minutes, unable to formulate an adequate response. What was there to say? It was an impossible situation for both of them. She really had no family at all…except for Calleigh.

"I kind of feel bad for her." Calleigh surprised him with the words. "I'm not saying it's my fault, I just…" She didn't want to tell him the real reason. In truth, she'd watched Eric interact with his sisters a few weeks ago when they'd had dinner at his parent's house. There was something there, something real that drove each of their dealings. The camaraderie they shared was undeniable. The girls especially had an unspoken bond with each other; each sister knowing what the other was thinking before it was voiced aloud. Calleigh had been an only child, raised alone. She was always alone at home. Maitea and Warrener did their best to bridge the gap, but that serenity only extended as far as their property line. She'd never had that closeness with anyone. Eric knew her better than anyone, but it was different. He loved her – she never doubted that at all, and she loved him. They had a great relationship, and her life was running smoothly for the first time in years – and she still had this unexplainable desire for…more. She wondered if forging a relationship with Coralee would fill the void any – and if Coralee was even interested in a relationship. After their blowup in the lab earlier that spring, Calleigh couldn't blame her if she never wanted to speak with her again.

"I never had any siblings." Her voice was soft, and Eric had to strain to hear her. "When I was younger, I always wondered what it would be like to have a little sister."

Eric was speechless for a moment, but recovered quickly. This certainly was a new turn of events; and a good one at that. "Have you talked to her at all?"

"No, not really."

"Well, you could go for coffee." He offered. He had tried to stay out of this. It wasn't his place to tell Calleigh what to do here. "That wouldn't take long. If it's horrible and you want to leave, it's just coffee."

Calleigh considered his advice, but didn't respond to it. "Can you believe how big Anya is getting?" Subject changed.

"_Nice segue."_ He thought, but didn't say anything about it. "Uh, yeah." He loved all his nieces and nephews, but he had to admit the little girl held a special place in his heart. "She's growing so fast."

"I can't believe she's crawling already."

___________________________________

It had been a week and a half since Calleigh and Eric discussed Coralee over Thai food. The girls had little interaction in the meantime, and Calleigh almost forgot about the whole conversation. She was in the locker room, rummaging in her purse for some painkillers one day when Coralee walked in.

"Damn it." She had a massive headache, and she couldn't find her bottle of Tylenol.

"Oh." She halted, seeing Calleigh. "I'm sorry." She turned to go, but was stopped by Calleigh's voice.

"You don't have to go." Calleigh tried to even her voice.

"Oh." Coralee almost tiptoed in, eyeing Calleigh warily, carefully opened her locker and grabbed her water bottle, taking long swig. Touching up her lipstick, she noted Calleigh's frustration and the way she rubbed her forehead.

"Here."

Calleigh looked up, surprised when Coralee offered her a bottle of Motrin.

"Will this do?"

"Uh." Calleigh was unsure of how to respond. "Yeah, thanks." She took the proffered bottle of pills and shook out two carefully, capped it and handed it back. "Thanks a lot."

"Sure." Coralee shut her locker back, and turned to go.

"Wait." Calleigh couldn't stop the words before they flew out of her mouth.

Coralee halted, and then slowly turned around to face her.

"Do you want to go get some…coffee…or something?" She knew she shouldn't leave work during the day, but maybe this was more important. Maybe Alexx was right.

Coralee tilted her head to the side and eyed her suspiciously. "Is this a joke?"

"No." Calleigh closed her eyes and shook her head. "No joke."

"Are you going to shoot me or arrest me or something?" Coralee nodded toward the firearm tucked into the holster.

"No." She smiled tightly. "Just coffee. There's a good café a few blocks away."

Coralee remained silent, but her mind was racing. Her sister, her big sister, had just extended a spontaneous invitation to her. She had asked her to accompany her to a coffee shop for a warm, caffeinated beverage. The invitation was a dream come true, but she was still cautious.

"Why?" Okay, so maybe it was rude to ask, but she had to know what the ulterior motive was.

"I just thought we could…ya know…talk…or something." Calleigh was nervous now, too.

Coralee thought about it a moment longer before offering a small smile and nodding. "Sure. I'd like that."

Calleigh was terrified. She hadn't actually thought this through any farther than the invitation. Now she was going to have to…talk.

"Let me check with Horatio." She secretly hoped he'd say no and spare her from this…train wreck.

"I'll talk to Dr. Woods." Coralee similarly hoped her request would be denied, but only a little. The rest of her was jumping for joy. She had always wanted a sister, and this, she supposed, might be the first step.

"I'll meet you at the front desk in ten?"

"Yeah, okay." Coralee's heart soared. She had dreamed of this moment her entire life.

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R/R


	37. The Sins of the Father

Author's Note: I don't own the characters. No one is paying me. Don't sue me. I appreciate the reviews, as always. I hope you enjoy this installment. Sadly, the story won't be finished by tonight, so the updates will be far and few between after this one. Sorry. School is back in session starting tomorrow. Groan. Anyway, enjoy, read, review, repeat.

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Coralee nervously joined Calleigh out front having been granted permission for an extended coffee break from Dr. Woods. She couldn't deny the excitement that made her stomach feel like butterflies were migrating through it, but she was also well aware of the degree of tension between her and her sister.

"I can drive if you want." Calleigh offered.

"Sure." That was probably best since Coralee was unfamiliar with the city.

The quick trip to the café was silent and awkward, and each girl watched the other via peripheral vision. Calleigh parked and exited the vehicle without a word, but waited briefly for Coralee to follow. The place was packed, which was not unusual – it was just annoying. Calleigh already knew what she wanted, and this gave her time to observe her surroundings. She glanced at the deli case and watched the reflection in the glass. Coralee studied the menu and rummaged in her change purse, counting coins. She counted them twice, and then glanced back up at the overhead menu.

Calleigh stepped up to the counter and quickly ordered a cinnamon dulce latte, then stepped aside a hare and asked Coralee, "What do you want?"

Coralee looked at her in surprise, eyes wide. "I beg your pardon?"

Calleigh graced her with a small smile. "It's my treat. Order whatever you want."

"You don't have to…" She shook her head.

"I invited you out here, and I know you're a starving student." Calleigh's smile was genuine now. "So go ahead and get whatever you want. It's my treat."

"Are you sure?" They both ignored the way the barista was glaring at them and the annoyed grumblings of the people in line behind them.

Calleigh nodded, and Coralee hesitated a moment longer. "Can I get an iced soy chai tea?" She was looking at Calleigh the entire time, as if waiting for her approval.

"Is that all?" The barista smacked her gum and glared at the girls.

"Do you want something to eat?" Calleigh was feeling especially generous at the moment.

"No thank you."

"That's all." She paid, and sent Coralee outside to stake out a sidewalk table. Collecting their beverages, she joined the younger girl.

"Here you go." She distributed the drinks.

"Thank you for this." Coralee raised her cup. "I can pay you back."

"I said it's my treat." Calleigh dismissed her with a wave.

Coralee nodded nervously and thanked her again. This was a cup of tea to remember.

"So." Calleigh finally began after a few silent minutes. "You're…we're…related, huh?"

"That's the story."

"That's…uh." Calleigh was never this inarticulate, and it grated on her nerves. "I don't know how to do this." She admitted.

"That's okay." Coralee couldn't blame her. "I don't either."

"Yeah."

Coralee decided to throw her a bone, so to speak. "How long have you been in Miami?"

"Ten years or so. You?"

"Since last July, so about a year."

They lapsed into silence again.

"Tell me about your name?" Calleigh had been curious about the girl's moniker for a while.

"You think I was named to sound like you, huh?" Calleigh nodded a little. "I was named after my great grandmothers. I think the similarity is more of a weird coincidence than anything planned."

"Oh, okay." That cleared up that question. What else? "How did your mom die?" She asked it softly, not wanting to hurt her.

"Cancer."

"What kind?"

"Breast cancer." Coralee swirled her straw around her cup. "It was stage four when they caught it. She never had a chance."

"Were you close?" Calleigh couldn't imagine losing her mother, even if they weren't close.

"No." Coralee shook her head. "We…we were very…different." She remembered all the fights they'd had when she was a teenager.

"_You prance around here like you're something special!" Ruby yelled at her daughter. "You're not better than me."_

_Coralee winced as a piece of the glass she was cleaning up sliced into her finger. Her mother had a tendency to drink heavily and then throw things when she was upset. "I never said I was." She defended herself quietly._

"_I see you, little girl." She had no tolerance for smart-mouthed little girls. "I see you sneaking around, making plans to leave. Go to college. You think you're too good to live here? Think you're better than this?"_

"_Yeah!" Coralee stood, one hand squeezing her bleeding finger in an attempt to stop the blood flow. "I think you are, too! I think you settled for what's easy, and I'm not going to do that! I'm going to go to college, and I'm not going to live in a dump or depend on 'friends' to pay my bills!"_

"_You ungrateful little…"_

"Coralee?" Calleigh tried to get her attention.

"Sorry." She blushed.

"I'm sorry about…before." She apologized and hoped Coralee would know what she was talking about. "I had no right to yell at you like that, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." She really did, too. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have yelled at you, either."

They were silent again for a few minutes. Calleigh wanted to ask a question, but she wasn't sure how. Finally, she blurted out, "How often did you see him?"

If Coralee was surprised by the question, she didn't show it. "Every couple of months he'd come for a few days. Usually two or three."

"What did you do when he came?"

"Nothing." She was telling the truth. "They'd go grocery shopping; sometimes we'd go to the mall or something. A couple of times I got new shoes."

Calleigh suddenly felt very privileged. She'd grown up with so much, and her half-sister had done with so little. "Did he give you money?"

"He helped my mom pay bills, if that's what you mean." She hated the way she sounded. "It wasn't all bad, you know. Sometimes we'd go places. He'd take me to the park or the zoo. One time we all went to…" She trailed off, worried that Calleigh wouldn't be happy hearing about 'family' vacations with her father.

"It's okay." Calleigh urged her to continue. "We can talk about it."

"We went to New Orleans once. For the weekend." She smiled at the memory. "We did all the touristy stuff, you know? Bourbon Street, toured the old homes, ate Cajun food."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"When I was thirteen." This shocked Calleigh. "Yeah. We moved to Savannah that year, and I haven't seen him since."

"Why did you move?"

"My mom met a guy. She was going to marry him, and he was going to solve all her problems." She said drily.

"Did she? Get married?"

"No." She didn't expound on the issue and tell Calleigh about the constant string of visitors that had paraded through their house.

"So." Calleigh was at a loss as to what else to say.

"Do you like it here?" Coralee interrupted her thoughts.

"In Miami?" A nod affirmed that was correct. "I really do. It's faster than Louisiana, you know, but I like it here."

"Were you close? To him?"

"Yeah." She supposed she was. "I guess. He was…he was an alcoholic, you know?"

"I know." Alcoholism was a single constant in the lives of both of the girls.

"He'd try to get sober, but he'd fall off the wagon…a lot." She rememberd all the phone calls. "I'd get calls from bars at all hours of the night and day to come pick him up."

"I'm sorry." Her voice sounded authentic, and Calleigh didn't doubt that she meant it. "That must have been hard on you."

"It was." She couldn't believe that she was having this conversation with anyone, much less Coralee. It just seemed right. "I hated it." She lifted her head and met her sister's eyes. "He was always drunk. He'd go to the bar after work and come home drunk. He'd show up at my school drunk and make a scene. He was drunk on holidays, birthdays. He was always drunk. I'm sad he died, but part of me…part of me is glad I don't have to…deal with that…anymore." She laughed nervously and added. "I can't believe I just said that."

"I think I get it, though." She took a deep breath and reached across the table, gently laying her hand upon that of her sister's. "You're not glad he's dead, you're just relieved that you don't have to always worry about him anymore?" Calleigh nodded. "I felt the same way when my mom died. She…drank a lot, too."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry." Coralee didn't want her to misunderstand her reasons for telling her this. She withdrew her hand and pushed her hair behind her ear nervously. "I…she'd been sick for so long. Not just cancer…she was always sick. She was always drunk. I was always worried that she'd get alcohol poisoning or get in a car accident or something, or kill someone when she was driving drunk. When she died, it was like I didn't have to worry about all that anymore. I was still sad, but I felt kind of liberated. I didn't have to be on edge all the time."

Calleigh hadn't been able to articulate it that well, but she immediately agreed with the sentiments. She was sad. She missed her father. She missed their talks, their trips. She didn't miss the nagging fear, the late night trips to bars. "I get that. I really do."

She smiled at Coralee for a moment, and decided to change the subject to something more cheerful. "You're in medical school, huh? That sounds pretty tough."

"It is. It really is, but I like it. I have to do it to get where I want to go."

"Where is that?"

"Here." She said simply. "Well, maybe not HERE specifically, but a coroner's office somewhere, you know. I think I like forensic pathology."

"Good." Coralee had just answered her next two questions, and it took her moment to think up new ones. "Do you have any hobbies or anything?"

Coralee laughed out loud at this. "I had a life, but my med school ate it." Calleigh chuckled a little as well. "No, I uh…I HAD hobbies. Back when I had free time. I used to run a lot. I used to read. And cook. And…hike. And swim. I'm on an intramural soccer team at school."

"You swim competitively?"

"Swam. Past tense." She corrected. "Haven't really done much of that since high school."

"What did you swim?"

"What event?"

"Yeah."

"One hundred meter butterfly. And some relays."

Calleigh was stunned. This tiny little thing swam a stroke that difficult. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I loved it."

She was going to have to remember to tell Eric this. He would, no doubt, want to talk to Coralee about this.

"What kind of books do you read?"

"Um. History." She said sheepishly. "I love history. And memoirs and biographies. Travelogues. And classics."

This impressed Calleigh, because she hadn't expected these kinds of responses.

"What about you?" Coralee wanted to get to know Calleigh better as well. "Hobbies?"

"I read." She felt a little silly now. "Not history and stuff, but more novels. Not Harlequin, but…popular stuff. I cook, but only occasionally. Actually, I cook a lot more now than I did before." Eric's skill in the kitchen had driven Calleigh back into her cookbooks as well. She was never one to be shown up by a boy, even if she loved him. "I run, but I don't really like it. It's more of a necessary evil. You actually LIKE running?"

"Yeah, I really do." Her face lit up. "It's so relaxing. I can just…clear my head and not think for a while. It's nice."

"Huh." She'd never thought about it that way before. "I'm kind of a gun fiend." She joked. "I, uh, shoot a lot. That's what I do to relax."

"Isn't that kind of like work?" Coralee saw the irony in personal and professional life overlapping so much.

"A little, but I don't mind. I love my job. Usually."

"That's good."

"Yeah." She continued the list. "I like movies, but not the one's Eric likes. He mocks my chick flicks."

Coralee's ears perked up at the mention of Eric. This was a topic of conversation she could use to her advantage. "How long have you two been dating?" This should keep Calleigh talking.

"Um. Since October."

Well, that was a shorter answer than she'd anticipated, so she tried again. "He seems really nice. You two are a really cute couple."

"Thanks." Calleigh was touched by the complement. "He's great. I'm really lucky."

"How long have you known him?"

"Seven years."

"Wow! And you've only been together for a few months?" Coralee wouldn't have waited that long to date a man that caring and gorgeous.

"It was a process." Calleigh wasn't sure she could adequately explain it to herself, let alone another person. "We had to get to the right place. What about you? Boyfriend?"

"No." Coralee was suddenly shy.

"Coralee?" Calleigh did not miss the change of demeanor. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was married." She raised her head and looked her sister in the eye. "For a while."

"What happened?"

"We're divorced now."

That wasn't exactly what Calleigh had been fishing for, so she tried again. "Your idea or his?"

"Mine." She nodded. "Definitely mine. We just...we got married too young. I didn't know what I wanted. I was just looking for...something. I don't know. He wasn't it. When I figured that out, I filed for divorce."

"How did he take that?" Calleigh wondered if her absent father had anything to do with Coralee rushing into marriage with an unsavory character.

"Not too well." Coralee admitted. "He…uh…he was very…adamant about not letting that happen."

"What did he do?"

"He, ahh, tried to change my mind."

"By…force?"

"Yeah." She hurriedly continued. "He tried to total my car, called me all the time, showed up at my work. That kind of stuff."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"No, really." This was a game Calleigh was a pro at. Hell, she'd practically invented the 'I'm fine' game. "Are you okay? Does he still bother you?"

"Sometimes." Coralee admitted, surprised she didn't know all of this already.

Calleigh burned a little with an anger that surprised her. "Have you talked to the police?"

"Yeah. They can't do anything."

Calleigh remained silent for a second, pondering if her next move was smart of not. "Do you…are you able to protect yourself?"

"I'm fine." Coralee assured her.

"That's not what I meant." Calleigh couldn't help herself; her heart went out to…her sister. "I mean, do you have a gun or something. For personal protection. In case he gets into your house?"

"Um, no."

"Do you know how to shoot?"

"No."

"Do you want to learn?" It was a stretch, but this was something Calleigh could do. This she was good at.

"I guess."

"I can teach you." This first conversation had taken an unexpected detour, and Calleigh found that she didn't dislike Coralee as much as she thought she would. She was easy to talk to, and she didn't seem to harbor any malice toward Calleigh. "Do you think he'd hurt you? Is he armed?"

"He has a few pistols and some shotguns for hunting and stuff."

"Do you think he'd ever use them?"

"I really hope not."

"I'll teach you. I have a 9mm you can have. We'll get you your permit so it's all legitimate."

"You'd do that?" The tea was a big enough surprise, and she certainly hadn't expected this kind of generosity.

"Sure."

"Wow." Coralee was touched. "Thanks."

"No problem." She checked her watch. "We should probably get back.

"Yeah, okay." She couldn't believe it. She'd just had a real conversation with her sister. A real, civil conversation.

"We should do this again sometime." Calleigh offered after they got out of the car to go into the lab again.

"I'd like that." She was soaring on air.

_____________________________________

You know what to do!


	38. Right on Target

Author's Note: This one is short. Sorry. I have to go to the airport and pick up a friend. I hope you like it. Please don't use this (and only this) as a training tool and go fiddle around with guns. Yes, I know what I'm talking about, but I didn't include everything you'd need to know. Kids, don't play with guns! Enjoy! I love you guys. You rock!

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Calleigh's twelve hour shift quickly became thirteen, then fourteen. Finally she was done, night shift could take over, and she could go home and sleep. She was on her way out the door, already planning a nice long bath and a night of sleep when she remembered a promise she'd made earlier that day. Sighing, she turned around and headed back downstairs.

"You ready?" She asked.

"For what?" Coralee countered, answering a question with a question.

"Your first lesson."

"You're serious about this?"

"Sure, why not?" Apparently the question thing ran in the family.

"Okay." She followed Calleigh down to the range, both unaware that someone was watching them.

Eric waited a few minutes, and then quietly slipped into the back of the range, securing his hearing protection over his ears. He couldn't hear what was being said, but he could still observe the interaction.

"We're going to start with the basics." Calleigh held out eye and ear protection. "Put this on."

"Okay." She pointed to the 22 caliber pistol she'd checked out of the locker. "We're going to start on this. It's a 22 caliber Ruger. Not a lot of kick to it, easy to shoot. Once you get the hang of this, we'll try something with a bit more firepower. Let's start with some gun safety, though."

Once she was satisfied that Coralee had the basics of gun safety down, she showed her how to load the magazine and how to hold the gun. "Your left hand should hold it like this." She adjusted Coralee's grip until it was satisfactory and nodded to her. "Go ahead and pull the trigger just to get used to the sound. Don't worry about hitting the target."

Coralee nodded, brows furrowed in concentration. She aligned the sights just the way Calleigh taught her, exhaled slowly and depressed the trigger.

"Okay!" Calleigh was impressed. "Are you sure this is your first time?"

"Yeah." Coralee was breathless with excitement. Sure, she hadn't hit the target dead center, but she'd come pretty close.

"Try again." Calleigh adjusted her grip and stance some more. "Bend your elbows a little to absorb the recoil. And loosen the grip with your right hand. Only flex the muscle in your index finger with that hand. Otherwise you'll be too tense and it'll mess with your aim."

Calleigh walked her through some exercises, taught her some different stances, had her shoot right and left handed, all the things her father had taught her when she was a small child. Coralee had a little trouble with one-handed, but Calleigh assured her that it was normal.

"In a real situation, you may not have the use of both hands." She explained. "You need to be able to use either hands equally well." She coached her. "Tilt it a little. No, not that much. Okay, now bend your elbow a little. Good. Now shoot."

Coralee pulled the trigger slowly, and then checked how she'd done on the target. "I hit it!" She exclaimed with a huge smile.

"Yeah, you did." Calleigh was proud, honestly. She was having a good time, actually.

Coralee, Eric discovered, was a quick study. Apparently proficiency with firearms was genetic as well. He watched as she rapidly increased both her precision and accuracy. After a few boxes of ammunition, she was hitting basically dead center every time.

"You're a natural." Calleigh complimented her. "Want to try something bigger or wait until tomorrow?"

Coralee beamed at the praise bestowed by her sister. "It's late. It can wait until later."

Calleigh nodded to the pistol. "Okay, eject the magazine, rack it back, and let's go return it."

Eric slipped out the door before they turned around and saw him.

"You did really good today." She complimented Coralee again.

"Thank you so much for this." Coralee gushed, but it was sincere. She appreciated the lesson almost as much as she appreciated just spending time with Calleigh. "I can't thank you enough."

"Don't worry about it." Calleigh dismissed her. "I actually enjoyed it, too." They smiled shyly at each other for a moment, before blushing and turning away.

____________________________

Eric beat Calleigh to her house only by about ten minutes. He'd barely gotten in the door when he heard her car pull up in the driveway. Meeting her at the door with a hug, he kissed her firmly.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?" She questioned him when he pulled away.

"I saw what you did today." He dropped kisses across her forehead. "And I'm really happy for you."

"What do you mean?" She figured she knew, but wanted confirmation nonetheless.

"Coralee." He replied. "I saw you two on the range."

"She's got a natural talent for it." Calleigh really was impressed. She'd seen police officers have more trouble than Coralee had. "We…ah…I took your advice." She wrapped her arms around his waist. "We got coffee today."

"I figured you two had talked."

"Yeah." She almost hated to admit it, but she did it anyway. "You were right, by the way. She's nice."

Eric had the grace to not respond, but he smiled inwardly. "What did you two talk about." He moved them to the couch so they could be more comfortable.

"Dad." She hesitated. "Our screwed up families. Hobbies. You." She added the last word with a seductive raise of her eyebrows and kissed his cheek.

"Me?"

"Yeah." She kissed him again. "She thinks you're nice."

"Oh. Okay."

"Yeah. Her ex is giving her some trouble, so I'm teaching her how to shoot, just in case."

"I know."

"You know?" Calleigh wasn't sure if she was displeased or just surprised by this news.

"Natalia told me."

"Told you what?"

Eric knew this was going to be difficult to explain away. "I suspected she was in some trouble a while ago, so I asked Nat if she'd talk to her. She told me what they talked about after."

Calleigh remained silent for a moment, and Eric feared he'd upset her. "You're amazing, you know that?" She crawled onto his lap facing him.

"Amazing, how?" He tried to capture her lips, but she evaded him.

"You care about everyone around you…all the time."

"It's one of my more charming qualities, is it?" He teased her, still trying to steal a kiss.

"It really is." She finally relented let him have his kiss.

________________________________

Coralee practically danced with excitement all day long. She had barely slept the night before she'd been so elated about the conversation with Calleigh the day before. Then, on top of that she'd gotten a lesson in firearms, too. Calleigh had taken two hours out of her day to go to the range and teach her how to defend herself. Plus, she'd complimented her, and promised to give her another lesson. After years of fending for herself, Coralee almost felt like she had family. Almost.

"Hey." Calleigh greeted her with a genuine smile today as she entered the morgue. "You busy after work tonight? If you have time, I thought we'd fit in another session on the range."

"You mean it?" Coralee clarified.

"Seriously, you've got to stop asking me that." She joked with a smile. "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

"Sorry." She apologized.

"It's fine." Calleigh assured her. "I'll come get you when I'm all finished upstairs, deal?"

"Deal."

"I do believe we're going to have to surgically remove the smile from that pretty little face of yours, Coralee." Alexx jested after Calleigh left. "Things are better between you two now, I take it."

"Yeah." Coralee could barely believe it herself. "We talked yesterday, and now she's nice to me."

"Good for you, Baby." Alexx smiled at her from over the body she was autopsying. "I'm happy for you both."

"She's teaching me how to shoot." Coralee bubbled, too excited to keep it to herself. "Yesterday she taught me how to shoot a 22 caliber. Today she said we'll use a 9mm."

Alexx nodded, soaking up the girl's infectious enthusiasm, and listened as she babbled on about her day with Calleigh.

Coralee proved to be as proficient with a 9mm Glock as she'd been the day before with a smaller caliber pistol. Before they left, Calleigh taught her how to disassemble, clean, and reassemble the weapon.

"Gun maintenance is very important." She stressed gravely as Coralee cleaned the gun. "A gun that isn't maintained properly can misfire, and that…" She choked up a little at the memory of Speedle's death. "Misfires are dangerous." She continued, ignoring the concerned look Coralee gave her.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." She grabbed her service pistol from the holster and started cleaning hers as well. "Just…take care of your firearm." She could feel Coralee's gaze burning a hole in her head as she watched her carefully, and for some unknown reason, she raised her head and started speaking.

"A good friend of mine was killed a few years ago." She took a shaky breath, the pain still fresh and raw. "He was a really good guy. His gun jammed, and he was shot." She stopped before the onslaught of tears started.

"I'm so sorry." Coralee stopped cleaning, shocked at the news. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can do?"

Calleigh smiled a little, eyes misting a bit. She shook her head and swiped at her eyes. "I'm fine, but thank you. Just…keep your gun clean, okay?"

"I will. I promise." Coralee's heart went out to her. It was never easy to lose someone you're close to, and she could tell that Calleigh was deeply affected by the death of her friend.

Coralee couldn't wait to get home and call Sarah to tell her all about her day.

"That's enough for today." Calleigh reassembled her gun and holstered it.

"Thank you so much for doing this." Coralee's gratitude overflowed. In all truth and fairness, she was as grateful for the lessons as she was for the time spent with her sister.

"It's no problem, really." Calleigh assured her, logging the return of the rented firearm into the book. "I…I've had fun."

"Me, too."

"Let me know when you want to come down here and practice." She smiled at Coralee. "Or Eric. He'd be glad to come with you, too." Coralee nodded excitedly. "You can keep practicing with that, or you can try…pretty much whatever you want. Just make sure someone is with you, okay?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"Okay. I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening."

"Hey, you too!" Coralee would never be sure what came over her, but she impulsively hugged her sister. Calleigh smiled a little, and hugged her back. Alexx was right, she decided. And she was glad she finally listened.

______________________________

This is the part where you click the button and type. Go ahead.


	39. Home Invasion

Author's Note: I'm bitter today, so I'm taking a break from studying to type. Hopefully, I'll be in a better mood when I finish the chapter. Argh. Never work for the government. They never know what's going on, and then it all becomes your fault because they can't find someone else to blame it on. Ranting. Sorry. Enjoy, then R&R! (The plague seems to have passed, btw. Thanks to everyone's well-wishes. Much appreciated. You guys make me happy).

__________________________

Coralee dragged herself through the parking garage, feel leaden in her shiny black heels. Her feet ached up to her knees, and she couldn't wait to get home, take a long hot bath, and just sit. Or sleep. Or both. She didn't care, as long as she wasn't standing. Her car was parked as far as humanly possible today, and every meter she walked felt like a mile. Finally, she reached her car, unlocked it, and climbed in. Glancing at the clock, she sighed when she realized why she was so tired. She was only scheduled to work twelve hours. She came in at six o'clock that morning, and it was now nine thirty eight p.m. Her shift technically didn't start until eight, but she'd wanted to get a head start so she'd been coming in early. She turned the key in the ignition, but the car didn't start. The engine turned over, but nothing else happened. Frowning, she tried again. And again.

"This can't be happening." She said aloud, dropping her forehead to the steering wheel. "Start, darn it!" She ordered the car, trying the ignition again. No change. "Okay." She thought to herself. "I can do this." She popped the hood, and crawled out of the car. Coralee did not know much about cars, so she doubted there was much that she could do, but she figured she could try anyway. Maybe it would be obvious. Something major would be disconnected right on top, and she could just plug it in and fix it. Fat chance. She checked the oil. It was fine. She checked the coolant. Plenty of that, too. She checked the windshield washer fluid. Probably not the culprit, but it never hurt to have enough of that, either. Running out of dipsticks, she went back and turned the key again. Perhaps her car could miraculously heal itself. Of course that would mean she had to believe in miracles, and Coralee had decided long ago that those weren't possible. The failure of her vehicle to start only reaffirmed that belief.

Kicking the front tire, she yelled angrily, "Stupid, rusty, piece of American sh-" Her rantings were cut short by a calm voice behind her.

"Coralee, are you okay?"

She spun around and found herself face to face with Ryan. "Oh." She blushed deep red.

"Car trouble?" He wasn't surprised, given the appearance of her automobile.

"No, it's fine." She lied, smiling sweetly at him. "Just burns a lot of oil, is all. I'll add some and it'll be good as new."

"I can do that for you." He was already reaching into the hood.

"No!" She pushed the stick back down. "I can do it." She smiled again, pleading with him to believe her. "Girl's gotta be self-sufficient, you know?"

"It's no trouble." He reached for it again, but Coralee just swatted him away.

"I can do it myself." She reminded him so much of Calleigh standing there with her hands on her hips, chin tipped into the air. The modern woman.

"You sure?"

"I'm a big girl. I can add my own quart of oil." She teased him.

"Okay." He relented. "Have a nice night."

She breathed a sigh of relief. "You, too!" He walked out of sight, and Coralee kicked her tire again. "Piece of crap!" She insulted her car. Seeing no other option, she slammed the hood shut, climbed into the driver seat, and sat staring at the steering wheel. "Figures." She said under her breath. It figures her car would break down today, an hour from home at ten o'clock at night. It just figures.

That was how Ryan found her ten minutes later, sitting in her car muttering to herself angrily. Knocking softly on the window, he smiled apologetically as she jumped.

"You scared me!" She rolled down the window, and smiled fakely at him.

"Your car won't start." He didn't bother asking. It was obvious.

"It's fine." She lied. "I was just thinking, that's all."

"Yeah, right." He wasn't buying it. He didn't understand why, but he knew she was lying. "Come on." He urged. "I'll drive you home."

"No." She shook her head.

"Why?" He wasn't sure if he should be offended by her refusal or not.

"It's too far out of your way." She gave up all pretenses that her car was fine. Defeat was not something she admitted well…or gracefully. "And I have to work tomorrow."

"So you're going to sleep in your car tonight?" Ryan failed to see the logic in her reasoning.

"No. I'm…I just…I don't know." She was getting more and more flustered. "I can't get to work tomorrow if I go home. My car will still be here."

"You can't get home if I don't take you, either." Ryan pointed out. "I'll get you in the morning."

"It's too far." She protested, not willing to inconvenience anyone too much with her own troubles. "You'd have to leave your house at like…three."

"Okay."

"No."

Ryan vaguely remembered watching Eric and Calleigh have a similar argument a few years ago over…something. He couldn't remember what, but he wracked his brain for whatever magic words Eric had come up with that convinced Calleigh give in. Unfortunately for Ryan, Eric had a far clearer insight into the workings of Calleigh's mind than Ryan did Coralee's, and he found himself lacking ideas.

"Fine." He offered. "I'll take you home. You get some stuff, and you can crash at my place." That seemed like a reasonable compromise to him.

"No." He wasn't sure he liked the look in her eyes, or the strangled pitch of her voice. There was something else going on here.

"Call Calleigh." He handed her his phone. "See if you can crash there."

"No." Her voice was softer now, eyes downcast. "It's not her problem."

"Coralee," Ryan was just confused now. "You can't sleep here. Let me drive you home. There's no one else still here, and it's late. It's dark. It's not safe for you to be out here by yourself, and I REALLY DON'T MIND." He stressed the last four words softly, mimicking Eric's tone with Calleigh from another argument. _"Why do Duquesne women have to be so damn stubborn?"_ He asked himself. "You're not going to get a better offer here." He was tired, and he just wanted to start driving. The sooner he got her home, the sooner he could get home and sleep. His male ego, his mother's training, and his police instinct refused to let her stay here by herself. "I'll pick you up in the morning. It's no big deal."

"I live really far away." She whispered.

"Then let's get going."

At last she nodded. "You're sure you don't mind?"

"Come on." He opened the car door and rolled up the window for her. "Let's go."

Coralee grabbed her things, locked her car, and followed him through the garage. "I'm really sorry about this." She apologized, as if it was her fault her car broke down.

"It's no problem." He opened her door for her, and noted the shocked look on her face when he gestured for her to get in.

"You hungry?" He asked as he put on his seat belt.

"No."

He nodded, and wound his way down to the ground level to exit. "Which way?" He waited for her to give him directions.

"Left." She pointed. "Go to I-95 north. I live in Sunrise."

"Take this next right, after the light." She instructed. "That's my complex."

Ryan steered into the parking lot, and parked the car.

"Thank you." She turned to him, thanking him sincerely. "I really appreciate it. Let me pay you back for the gas, though. I know it's really far."

"Stop." He laughed at her obstinacy. "You don't owe me anything." He turned the engine off, and moved to get out, but Coralee stopped him.

"You don't need to do that." She halted him. "I'll be fine. Thanks for the lift."

"I'll pick you up at six thirty." He dreaded getting up that early, but hey, she was sweet, and he was always a sucker for a damsel in distress.

"Are you sure you don't mind?" She was already out of the car, leaning down to talk to him face to face.

"I'm sure. See you tomorrow."

"Bye. Thanks again." She waved at him, and disappeared behind the rows of apartment buildings.

Ryan shook his head, and put the car in reverse. "No rest for the weary." He thought drily as he backed up. Something caught his eye as he shifted gears. Glancing over to the passenger side, he saw Coralee's lunch box sitting forgotten on the floor under the dash. Sighing, he pulled the car back into the parking space, grabbed the lunch box, and went off in search of Coralee. Realizing that he didn't know her apartment number, or even which building she lived in, he contemplated his options. He called her cell, but she didn't answer. Leaving a message would be pointless. Knocking on every door was unlikely to be productive or helpful. He quickly eliminated the apartments with lots of furniture on the patio. She probably didn't have that, he reasoned. Apartments with toys in front or on the patio were out, too. She seemed like the kind of girl to have a welcome mat – he wasn't sure why, but he guessed that she did.

He was just about to give up when he heard voices drifting down from an open window on a second story apartment. The girl's voice sounded like Coralee. That was just plain good luck. Climbing the stairs, he heard the voices grow louder and angrier. He stopped for a moment, undecided and unsure of how to proceed.

_______________________________

Coralee stopped dead in her tracks and grabbed her cell phone from her purse as she surveyed her apartment. Apparently, she'd had a break-in.

"I was wondering when you'd get home."

"Edmund." She froze. "How did you get in here?"

"Apartment manager thought it was horrible." He sneered. "Showed her the marriage certificate. She thought it was sad. Married man locked out of his apartment like that."

"Leave." She looked behind her. The door was already closed, and he was going to have her cornered soon. "We aren't married. Remember. We're divorced. Now get out of my house."

"My house." He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. "I don't recognize that divorce."

"Well the state of Georgia does, so leave me alone." She was trying not to panic, but it was getting difficult.

"I ain't goin' anywhere." He pulled her into the living room. "This is my furniture." He turned her. "My couch. My chair. My table. My TV."

"It's mine." She stood up to him. "The judge awarded it to me. You got the car and the house."

"Empty house." He yelled in her face, and she cringed. "I'm just here for what's mine."

"Edmund." Her voice shook. She knew his rages all too well, and she was getting worried. "You need to leave me alone. We aren't married anymore."

__________________________________

"Duquesne." Calleigh sighed as she answered her phone. This better be good. He was interrupting her dinner with Eric. Sure it was only grilled cheese and a salad, but it was still dinner. And it was the only alone time she'd had with him in three days.

"Calleigh, it's Ryan." He introduced himself unnecessarily. "Do you happen to know Coralee's apartment number?"

"Why?" Her interest was piqued.

"Her car broke down, so I have her a lift home." He explained quickly, still half listening to what was going on inside. "She left her lunch in my car, and I'm trying to give it back to her." The voices were growing louder. "She's not answering her cell, and I think I found her apartment, but there's a guy in there. They're arguing."

"Hold on." Calleigh rushed to find the directions she'd printed out months ago. She kind of remembered writing the apartment number on the top. "Got it." She called triumphantly, gesturing for Eric to come over. "35F."

"Damn." Ryan sighed.

"Wrong one?"

"No." He hated to do this. "Right one." He paused for a moment, but made a decision quickly when he heard a cry from inside. "Call the police." He ordered, snapping his phone shut. "Police, open up!" He rapped on the door loudly. Sure, he wasn't Broward County police, or even the city of Sunrise. He was still police, and right now he didn't care if it was legal or not. "Open up!" He banged loudly again, with his fist this time.

Trying the door handle, he was surprised to find it unlocked. He drew his weapon and entered carefully, glancing around the corner carefully.

___________________________________

"Edmund, let go of me." Coralee cried, kicking him in the shin. Her head hurt from where he'd slammed her against the wall. She heard knocking on the front door, and prayed to a God she didn't even believe in that Edmund would hear it and leave her alone, but it only made him angrier.

"You called the cops?"

___________________________________

"Calleigh?" Eric placed a gentle hand on her back. "What's wrong?"

"Call the Sunrise police." She handed him the papers and hurried to her bedroom, Eric close behind. "Why?"

"Call them." She didn't feel like arguing. "He's at her house."

Eric didn't need any more explanation than that. Whipping out his cell, he watched as Calleigh changed into her jeans, strapped her holster onto her belt, and grabbed her badge.

"No." He gently took the badge from her hands once he hung up the phone. "You can't go in there as a cop." He eased the belt off, pushing her hands away. "Not your county." He shook his head when she tried to protest. "Go as her sister, not a cop."

She couldn't argue with his logic, but she grabbed her badge anyway. "Might help with the local PD." She grabbed her purse and keys, and turned to kiss him goodbye, but found him right behind her jacket in hand.

"I'll drive." He eased the keys from her hand, knowing she wouldn't argue with him this time.

"Thanks."

____________________________________

Ryan found himself unprepared for the scene in Coralee's living room. The house had been ransacked; tables overturned, books thrown off the shelves, lamps broken. "Get off of her!" He growled at the man in Coralee's apartment.

"You sleeping with him, too?"

"Edmund." She tried to remain calm, but her head hurt. Her wrists hurt. "Leave him out of this."

Ryan looked from Coralee to the man crushing her into a wall. Her eyes were wide, and she looked scared…and pained. "Edmund." He tried to reason with the man, hoping he wasn't armed. "You don't want to do this. Let her go."

"This ain't your business." Edmund shook Coralee again, tightening his grip on her wrists.

"Edmund," Ryan holstered his pistol and withdrew his handcuffs. He couldn't technically arrest him, but he could cuff him and wait for the Sunrise PD to get there.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time. Let her go." Ryan's voice had taken on a low, gravelly tone. He hated men who abused women. When Edmund didn't release his hold on Coralee, Ryan grabbed one of his arms.

"Stay out of this!" He suddenly lunged at Ryan, fists flying.

"Stop it!" Coralee tried to grab him, but she wasn't fast enough.

Ryan managed to escape unscathed as he easily ducked the drunken man's clumsy attempts to fight him. Bringing the situation quickly under control, he laid him out flat on his face, pressed his knee into Edmund's back, and cuffed his hands behind his back as the sirens approached.

"You okay?" He looked at Coralee with concern where she had slumped to the floor.

"I'm fine." He shook his head at her stubborn insistence, but let it go for now.

______________________________________

Eric gave up all pretense of driving near the speed limits as he rushed to Coralee's house. Calleigh dialed Ryan's cell phone repeatedly, then tried Coralee. When neither answered, she let out a soft cry of frustration. Eric grabbed her hand, and held it tightly.

"She's fine." He assured her. "Ryan's there. The cops are there. She's fine." He was a little taken aback by her level of concern. He knew she and Coralee had started a fledgling friendship, but he hadn't expected this degree of worry from her.

"Yeah." She whispered, gripping his hand tightly. Calleigh herself was surprised at her reaction. A few short months ago she'd been yelling at Coralee, telling her to get out of the lab, and now…now here she was rushing to her home to make sure she was okay.

"You're so tense." Eric couldn't remember how many times he had said that to her in the past several months.

"She's my…sister."

The fifty minute drive to Sunrise only took about half an hour thanks to time and Eric's loose association with the speed limits. Calleigh barely waited for him to stop the car before she jumped out and fairly ran to the scene.

"Miss," A uniformed officer stopped her. "Miss you can't go through here."

Eric jogged up behind her and flashed his badge, but the young policeman shook his head. "Sorry, it's not your case."

"She's my sister." Calleigh pointed to the back of the ambulance where Coralee was sitting. "Where's Ryan?"

"Miss, you can't be here."

Eric put a hand on Calleigh's shoulder to calm her. "Officer," He tried to be polite. "We're not here in any official capacity. One of ours was involved, and her sister is right over there." He gestured to Ryan and Coralee. "We just want to make sure they're okay."

"Calleigh. Eric." Ryan walked up to them, having just finished giving his statement.

"You know them?" The uniform looked at Ryan for confirmation.

"She's my boss." He bent the truth a little, but he figured he was in enough trouble already, this wouldn't hurt any more.

"Excuse me." The officer moved aside. "I apologize."

Calleigh glared at him as she stepped through the maze of police cars and uniformed bodies. "Are you okay?" She asked Ryan, surveying the mark on his cheek.

"Fine." He brushed her off. "I might need a lawyer, though. Her ex says he's suing me for assault."

"Did you hit him?" Eric wasn't watching Ryan as he spoke. His eyes were focused on Coralee as she gave the EMTs a hard time.

"He swung at me, so I dropped him and cuffed him."

"I'll call Horatio." Calleigh patted his arm. "He'll take care of it." She added as an afterthought, but very sincerely, "Thank you, Ryan. For all this."

"Hey." He shrugged. "It's no problem."

"I'm going to…" She nodded in the direction of the ambulance.

"Yeah." Both men understood.

"Cor?" She tried to get the girls attention. Her head was buried in her hands, elbows balanced on her knees. "You okay?"

"Calleigh?" Her head shot up. Of course Ryan called her.

Calleigh sat down beside her and put her arm around her shoulders, remembering when Eric had done the same thing for her not that long ago. "Are you going to be alright?" Her words echoed his.

"I'm fine." Her voice shook.

Calleigh hopped off the ambulance and stood in front of her sister inspecting her face for injuries. "You don't look fine."

Coralee unconsciously tugged at her sleeves, pulling them down over her wrists.

Calleigh reached out and gently pulled Coralee's sleeves back up to reveal the ugly red marks Edmund left on her. "Coralee." She gasped. "You're not fine."

Coralee didn't respond, just hung her head in embarrassment.

Eric wandered over to check on the girls. He saw red hot anger when he saw the marks on Coralee's wrists. "Are you hurt anywhere else?" He turned her hand over gently, examining her.

She shook her head softly, not meeting his eyes, either. Calleigh shot Eric a pleading look, face full of concern. He nodded for her to walk away for a second and took a seat next to Coralee.

"Cor." He was still holding her hand. "Did you let the paramedics check you out?"

"I'm fine." She murmured.

"Cor." He warned. "Where else are you hurt?"

She looked away from him for a moment and whispered so quietly he almost couldn't hear it. "I hit my head pretty hard, but it's fine. I'm fine."

He sighed heavily and met Calleigh's worried eyes, shaking his head. "Coralee, you have to get checked out. You could have a concussion."

"A little Tylenol will take care of it." She was as stubborn as Calleigh.

"Please? For Calleigh and me?" He knew it was a low blow, but maybe it would work.

She nodded a little, and relief washed over him.

Calleigh replaced Eric by Coralee's side while the EMT did a quick neurological exam.

"Is Ryan okay?" She asked Calleigh when the exam was completed.

"He's fine." She wondered how much of the truth she should tell Coralee. "They might press charges against him, though. Your ex filed a complaint."

"No!" She was horrified that she'd caused so much trouble. She'd tried so hard to keep them out of her personal life, and now everything was in shambles.

"Are you pressing charges?" It hadn't occurred to Calleigh to ask until now, but she'd been given no indication charges were going to be filed.

"I can't." Coralee looked at her, eyes frightened. "It'll just make him mad."

"Coralee, you have to at least get a restraining order."

"If I don't press charges, maybe he won't." She reasoned.

"Coralee, if you press assault charges against him, his accusations against Ryan won't hold up in court. They'll be dismissed. No judge will fault him for that."

"I'm really sorry about all this. I didn't mean to get anyone in trouble." She whispered hoaresly, tears overflowing down her cheeks.

Calleigh's heart broke as her half-sister apologized. "Stop that." She hugged her.

"Coralee?" Ryan was finally able to break free from the police reports and check on her. "Are you okay?"

"Are you in trouble?" She asked guiltily ignoring his question and wiping her eyes dry.

"I'll take care of it." He brushed off her concern, even though he really was worried. He'd just been reinstated recently. His career didn't need this, even if he was sure he'd done the right thing. "Are you okay?" He repeated the question, knowing she would dodge it if possible.

"She'll be fine." Calleigh interjected, not telling him about the head injury. "What's going on?"

"They're taking him down to the station, but they haven't decided if they can arrest me or not. I'm off duty, but I don't have jurisdiction here, so it's a grey area."

"You didn't mirandize him, did you?" Eric cut in.

"No, I just cuffed him and waited for the locals to take care of it."

"I'll go ahead and do it." Coralee spoke up suddenly, looking at Calleigh. Ryan and Eric exchanged confused looks, neither one understanding what was happening.

"Good." Calleigh nodded. "I'll get someone to take your statement."

Eric rode with Coralee to the police station while she filled out reports. Calleigh went through her house and packed a few bags of clothes and necessities. Placing them in her car, she joined them at the station and waited.

Ryan was out first, a big smile on his face. "H. came through!" He high-fived Calleigh happily. "I'm good." He was more relieved than he was letting on. His career didn't' need any more disturbances. He took a seat beside Calleigh and looked at her carefully. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She replied absently. "I'm just worried, that's all."

"She'll be okay, you know."

"Yeah." Calleigh closed her eyes briefly, willing the imaged that welled up behind them to disappear. "Thank you, for everything." She forced her eyes to open, and looked at Ryan directly. "I really appreciate you helping her out tonight."

He just shrugged. "It's no big deal."

Eric followed Coralee out of the bullpen, eyes meeting Calleigh's for a moment. He frowned at what he saw there.

"You guys ready?" She rose to her feet as Eric nodded.

"Let's get you home." She hugged Ryan goodbye, thanking him again, and directed Coralee to her car. "You're staying with me until this is cleared up. I got you some stuff from your house. We'll go back and clean it up later." She glanced at her watch. It was after two o'clock. They all had to be at work in less than six hours. There was no way Horatio was going to let all three of them have the day off.

"My house if fine." Coralee finally spoke up. "I'd rather stay there." She didn't like the idea of her ex-husband driving her out of her home any more than she wanted to intrude on Calleigh's life.

"You're staying with me." Calleigh stated firmly. "No arguments." She thought for a moment, then added. "Besides, you're car is broken down. I can drive you to work."

Coralee nodded, but said nothing. She was so tired. Maybe she'd just close her eyes for a second. Eric glanced in the rearview mirror a few minutes later and smiled, finding her fast asleep. He glanced over at Calleigh, but she, too was asleep, head resting against the window. His heart welled up in his chest – both with love and hate. Love for Calleigh, and even her little sister, although it was of a different kind. Coralee, he'd have to admit, he'd sort of adopted as a little sister well. He was surprised at the hate that sparked and burned for Coralee's ex-husband. Breathing in deeply, he exhaled slowly and tried to release some of the anger he felt creeping around his heart. Life was too short for that, he reminded himself. They were all going to be okay.

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Author's note: Not sure I feel better, but here's another chapter for you. It got away from me. R and R. I have to go hem a pair of pants to wear tomorrow now. Argh. When I grow up, I wanna be average height! Tricia


	40. Holy See

Author's Note: Who should be studying (or at least sleeping) right now? It's me. But…I'm typing anyway. I hope someone likes this. Read and review.

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"Calleigh." Eric shook her gently. "Calleigh, we're home."

"Mmhmm." She mumbled sleepily.

"Calleigh, come on." He smiled as she waved him off, shoving his hand off her shoulder. "Let's get you two inside."

She sat up and looked at him as he pointed to the backseat where Coralee was still fast asleep.

"Do you want to wake her up, or should I?" He asked, not wanting to disturb and startle her.

"Do we have to wake her up?"

"It's been about an hour. It's time."

"Time? I don't follow."

Eric had experienced his share of concussions as a child, mostly the result of him being overly fearless and jumping off something. "The paramedic said she might have a mild concussion. She has to be woken up every hour or so."

Calleigh just nodded and frowned.

"I'll get her." She finally decided. Climbing out of the car, she opened the back door and patted her little sister's hand. "Coralee." She whispered. "Coralee, you have to wake up now."

"Wha-?" She sat up and looked around her, a little confused.

"Come on." Calleigh reached around and unbuckled her seat belt for her.

Coralee looked a little dazed as Calleigh led her into the house. "You live here?" Her voice held awe and reverence as she looked around her. "Wow." Her eyes were wide as Calleigh led her inside. She'd never dreamed of living in a place this nice before. Hell, until recently she'd never even dreamed of living anywhere without wheels under it. This was…beyond reality. Surreal.

"There's a bed in the spare room, so you don't have to sleep on the couch." Calleigh led her on a quick tour. "Here's the kitchen, bathroom's down the hall on the left."

She looked back and smiled as Eric lugged Coralee's bags into the house. "Just throw those in here."

"Okay." Calleigh spread out her arms. "This'll be your room for the mean time. Just…make yourself at home. If you can't find something you need, just ask."

Coralee looked around her, still a little dazed by the developments of the evening. "Umm." She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. "Thank you. For everything." She stiffened a little when Calleigh hugged her gingerly, not wanting to injure her at all just in case she was a little bruised.

"Will you be okay?" Calleigh held her out at arms length and searched her for any signs of discomfort.

"I'm fine."

"Are you?" Calleigh had the briefest flash of insight into Eric's never-ending patience as she heard Coralee parrot her very favorite phrase. "Are you really?"

"I'm always fine." Coralee stated firmly, nodding as if the gesture would help convince herself as well.

"Of course you are." Calleigh patted her arm, not believing any of it, and took a look around the room once more. "I'll bring you another blanket in case you get cold, and…" She wracked her brain. What do you say at a time like this? "If you need anything, I'm just down the hall. Bathroom's right outside the door. Ummm. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen if you're hungry."

Coralee said nothing, only stared at an imaginary spot on the floor, fingernails picking blindly at an invisible thread on her trousers.

Eric walked up to the door carrying two mugs of tea and held them out to the girls, but didn't enter. "I thought you could use this." He offered the drinks with a sympathetic smile.

Calleigh took them both and kissed his cheek in thanks, handing one mug to the younger girl.

"One of us will be in to check on you, so make sure you're decent." Eric grinned cheekily at Calleigh's announcement.

"Check on me?"

"Head injury." Calleigh rolled her eyes in mock frustration at Coralee's stubbornness. "You have to be watched."

"I'll just set my alarm, you don't need to bother." Coralee whipped her cell phone out of her pocket, nimble fingers quickly changing the alarm times.

"If you don't wake up, that won't exactly help any." Eric reminded her.

"I don't want to be a bug." Coralee protested, although she was beginning to realize that she was outmatched against these two. "Really, I'm fine."

"Coralee." Eric stepped into the room cautiously, not wanting to disturb her privacy. Since the door was open and she knew he was there, he figured it would be okay. "I'm immune to the Duquesne 'I'm fine' speech. Years of hearing it from this one…" He nodded his head toward Calleigh, who just smirked at him. "Has allowed me to…build up a tolerance. Someone is going to check on you. Someone is going to make sure you don't hemorrhage and die tonight because we care. Get used to it." He added the last part firmly but gently, wondering if it would take seven or eight years to get this one to believe him, too.

Coralee tried her one last option, throwing Calleigh an exasperated look, wild-eyed and willing her to do something…anything…to put a stop to this madness. Calleigh managed to keep her facial expression impassive for a moment, but felt the laughter bubbling up inside. Involuntarily, the corners of her mouth twitched up as the mirth spilled out. "I'm sorry." She laughed, sitting her tea on a handy coaster, and clutching Eric's forearm and leaning forward at the waist. "I never got it until just now." She was talking to Eric now, both arms wrapped around him with her face buried in his chest muffling the sound of her laughter.

Eric was as perplexed as Coralee, and they exchanged mutual shrugs of confusion while Calleigh continued deep, abdominal-tiring giggles.

"Calleigh?" Eric rubbed her back. "You, uh, gonna share with the class?"

She pulled her face away and nodded a few times, still unable to speak. Tears were running down her face, and Eric gently swiped them away with the pads of his thumbs. "I…" She tried, then laughed some more. "I think I'm going to have you nominated for saint-hood." She took a step backwards and gripped his biceps. "You have got to be the most patient man in history." Eric continued looking at her like she'd sprouted an additional head, so she tried to clarify. "I do that, don't I?" She gestured toward Coralee, who was now trying to edge her way out of the room without being noticed. "The 'I'm fine' stuff. I do that, don't I?"

Eric grinned at her lovingly and bent down to drop a kiss on her forehead. "Yeah, but I love you anyway." He kissed the bridge of her now and continued. "Besides, I never believe you. Ouch!" He cried in mock pain as Calleigh playfully jabbed him in the ribs, clutching his chest with both hands.

"Okay." Calleigh took a deep breath and calmed down enough to speak coherently once more. "Coralee." She said definitively. "Get some sleep if you're tired, and I'll be in to check on you in an hour or so. If you need anything, just ask."

Coralee nodded shallowly, admitting defeat. "Okay. Thank you." She almost meant that 'thank you,' too. The whole evening had overwhelmed her somewhat, and she found herself less able to really process or deal with anything. Perhaps her coping mechanism had been bruised a little, too, because she was suddenly close to tears. Excusing herself to the bathroom, she hurried down the hall and closed the door softly behind her.

"Eric." Calleigh got his attention rather absent-mindedly as he led her to the bedroom. "I'm really sorry."

He knew what she was talking about, but pressed on anyway. "Sorry for what?"

"Always telling you I'm fine when I'm not."

He turned her to him and kissed her tenderly, pouring his understanding of her emotions into his actions. "It's okay, Calleigh. I get it." He did, too, and she knew it. "I get it." He repeated, voice barely a whisper as he pressed soft kisses across her cheeks, dragged his lips down her jaw line, and spoke into, rather than kissed her lips. "But thank you." Her acknowledgement meant the world to him, made the air rush out of his lungs and left him feeling light-headed. _Had Coralee's ordeal led them to a breakthrough in their relationship?_ He wondered if things would change between them – for the better – now that she understood better.

"Calleigh?" He reached out a hand and halted her actions as she changed into pajamas for the night.

"Yeah?"

"You know you can't have someone canonized until they're dead, right?" His voice was serious, but she saw the teasing glimmer in his eye. "And I have to perform at least two miracles." He reached out and pulled her body toward his possessively, rolling them both so she was underneath him. "Wanna see about those miracles?" His voice was low and suggestive as he breathed into her ear, making her quiver.

"That's a little sacrilegious, isn't it?" She screwed her eyes tight as his teeth barely grazed her earlobe.

"You don't believe in religion." He reminded her with a teasing sneer. "But I can make you see God."

_Cocky bastard_. He was sucking wet kisses at that spot right below her ear lobe now. Damn him. He knew that spot was her weakness, her undoing.

"Eric!" Calleigh was almost offended for him over his last comment. She took a deep breath and tried to steady her voice. "Don't talk like that." She shivered as he continued. "And Coralee's just down the hall."

"She's a big girl." He reasoned.

Calleigh could find no argument against his logic.

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Author's Note: Sorry it's short. I'm pressed for time. Projects and exams and...agh! School is kicking my tookus. Too much information! And to think, I volunteered for this. I begged, practically. I did this on purpose. Sigh. It better be worth it. R/R!!!


	41. La Familia

Author's Note: Here is chapter 41. I hope you enjoy it...at least somewhat. I promise that Calleigh's Opa and Abuela will be make a few more appearances, but I have to get there. It takes a while. Anyway. Hope you all have good imaginations, 'cause you're gonna need them until I get around to updating again...which won't be for a week and a half or so. Three exams to go until break! Break. I love break. Hmmm. Sleep. Free time. How I miss you both! Enjoy. R/R!!!!

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"Good morning!" Coralee drawled as she breezed into the morgue the following morning. "How are you?"

"How am I?" Alexx had already talked to Ryan, and she was not about to let Coralee get away with anything today. No way. If Coralee was half as stubborn as her sister, she knew it was going to take some work and probably a stern motherly look or two. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." She smiled outwardly, and groaned silently to herself, cursing the most likely culprit. Ryan. Thanks a bunch, buddy!

"Coralee!" Alexx warned, narrowing her eyes and wagging her index finger at her. "Don't you give me any of that."

"I don't know what you heard, but I'm fine." She did not want to have this conversation again. "I really am. I promise."

"I heard you have a concussion." Alexx looked her up and down slowly. "And probably some pretty nasty bruises."

"Alexx." She figured it was worth the shot, but she was cut off once more.

"Coralee." Alexx's voice had taken on a dangerously serious tone. "Don't you lie to me."

"I don't have a concussion."

"I'll be the judge of that." She gestured to a chair. "Sit." It wasn't a question. It wasn't even a request. Coralee paused for a brief moment, but was persuaded by the look on Alexx's face. This was not a woman to be trifled with.

Alexx led her through all the same tests that the paramedic did the night before. She tested her vision, extraocular movements, and cranial nerves. Everything was intact. No nystagmous. "Any dizziness?"

"No."

"Nausea?"

"No."

She tested muscle tone in Coralee's arms and legs, but found nothing out of the ordinary. She really did seem fine.

"See." Coralee gloated a little. "I'm fine. I told you."

"You might be fine." Alexx wasn't ready to concede yet. She still might have a head injury, but it might not be presenting typically. "I'd like to send you to the hospital, get you a CT."

"No." She protested. "I can't."

"I'm not taking 'no' for an answer, Baby."

"I can't go to the hospital." Coralee tried to explain. "I can't afford it."

"You don't have insurance?" Alexx was surprised to hear this. Most medical schools require health insurance of all their students.

"I do, but it only covers ER visits in an actual emergency." This was going to be costly, and that was one thing Coralee couldn't afford right now. "This isn't an emergency. I can't go."

Alexx pursed her lips and thought for a moment. Student health insurance wasn't exactly known for being…helpful or accommodating.

"I promise, if I start to get dizzy or nauseous, I'll have you drive me to the hospital yourself." She tried to smile and put a positive spin on things. Thankfully, Alexx seemed to accept her compromise. Or so she thought.

"I want you to go home and rest." She wasn't about to just ignore the whole situation. "You take a couple of days off. I can manage without my sidekick for a few days."

"Home." Coralee remembered. "I can't go home." At Alexx's confused look, she continued. "My car's broken down. I have to get it fixed."

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Alexx shoed her out the door. "Go, go, go!"

Coralee wandered through the halls for a moment, pausing briefly when she spied Ryan inside the trace lab. She had a short fantasy of strutting in there and telling him off, but guilt took over and she refrained. She was grateful, she truly was. She just hated that now her personal drama was spread all over the lab. She wasn't proud of her past; some of the decisions she'd made had been less than stellar, but she'd recovered. She'd worked hard, and she'd gotten too far to just give up and roll over and admit defeat. Now, she had the undeniable urge to dig a deep hole, crawl in, and just pull the dirt in on top of her. Truly, this was a "please-God-just-let-the-earth-open-up-and-swallow-me moment." Frowning slightly, she pushed her way into the lab, smiling brightly over the dull ache that had settled in her head.

"Hey."

"Coralee!" He seemed a little too happy to see her, as far as she was concerned. "How are you feeling?"

"You talked to Alexx." She didn't bother asking him; she already knew the answer. "I'm grateful to you for what you did for me. I really am. But please, I'm begging you; don't go spreading my personal life around the lab any more."

"I just talked to Alexx." He defended, not entirely surprised by the outburst. Calleigh would have responded the same way, he figured. "She's your boss, and she's my friend. She asked what happened to my face." He pointed to the scratch on his cheek. "I'm not going to lie to her."

"I understand." She smiled softly at him. "Just, no one else, please?"

"Sure."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." She looked down at her shoes, embarrassed. "And thanks again. For last night. I'm sorry about everything."

"I'm just glad you're okay." He said definitively.

"I'm fine." She grinned. "My mamma always said I'm hard-headed. I guess she was right."

"You're good, then?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She tapped her head with her knuckles. "Alexx gave me a clean bill of health. She's sending me home to rest for the day, though."

"How are you going to get there?" He clearly remembered the events that precipitated the previous evening's excitement.

"Well, I'm gonna have my car towed to the shop." She smirked at him. "That seems like the best course of action at this point."

"Okay." He shrugged exaggeratedly at her joke. "If you want."

"See you!" She whirled out the door.

"Bye." He called out after her.

Coralee found her way to the break room and grabbed the phone book off the shelf. Eric found her a few minutes later, leafing through the pages, and dialing number after number, trying to find the best rate.

"And how much would that cost, from the police headquarters to your garage?" Pause. "No, Miami-Dade County." Another pause. "And how much would it cost for the initial assessment of the vehicle?" Eric frowned, leaning against the counter and listening to the conversation. He wasn't eavesdropping, not really, just…collating data, so to speak.

She apparently hadn't noticed his entrance, because she hung up and dialed the next company on the page. "Hello, my car is broken down, and I was just wondering if you could give me an estimate on how much it would cost to have it towed."

Eric slipped out of the room quietly, flipping his cell open and dialing a number. "Hey, it's Delko. I need a favor."

He kept one ear tuned to Coralee's conversation, and rushed in as he was saying goodbye. He rapped on the table, getting her attention, and shook his head at her, shaking his free hand back and forth to halt her transaction. "Yeah. Thanks. I owe you one. Later, man."

"You aren't going to need that." He tapped the phone book with his index finger. "It's all taken care of."

"What is?"

"I called a buddy of mine." He closed the phone book, and removed it from her hands even as she tried to hang on. "He's going to come get your car and fix it for you. At a discount." He added the last part, hoping it would be the clincher, and prevent her from fighting him.

"I can't ask that."

He smiled, knowing it was coming. "You didn't. But you're getting it, so just relax. Come one." He helped her out of the chair. "He's going to need you to give him the keys and stuff."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive."

Eric stopped in Horatio's office as they went out to wait for the tow. "H." He got his attention. "I've got to take Coralee down to the shop to get her car fixed." He continued as Horatio frowned at him. "I'll make up the hours, H. It'll get done." Horatio gave him a curt nod, and they were on their way.

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"This is your car?" Eric eyed the rust-bucket warily. "Is it even street legal?"

"Yes!" She defended.

"Does it have seatbelts?" He was only partially jesting as he unlocked the door and peered inside. It really was a piece of crap. "How old is this? It's gotta be older than you!"

"It's a '78." She admitted sheepishly.

"Damn." He'd never actually seen one, and now he understood why. The Concord was not exactly a wonderful vehicle. "It's almost older than me. You drive this?"

She nodded her assent.

"Every day?"

Another nod.

"You bought this?"

"Yes." She huffed at him, annoyed.

"On purpose?"

This garnered only an exasperated sigh and a glare he had long since dubbed "The Duquesne." "Sorry." He murmured, realizing that insulting the girl's vehicle was probably not the best way to win friends and influence people. Even girls had a tendency to be protective of their cars, he remembered. "I'm sure it's a great car."

"It's a great little P.O.S., if that's what you mean." She admitted ruefully. "But it's all I could afford."

He said nothing at this, realizing that he might have, without meaning to, stumbled upon uncharted territory.

"Chuck, my man!" He greeted his friend heartily. "Thanks for doing this." He motioned toward Coralee and continued. "This is Coralee, and this…" A grand gestured this time. "Is her car. Do you think you can help her out?"

"Phew." Chuck whistled softly as he examined the vehicle. "Can you pop the hood for me?"

Coralee complied, then hurried to stand next to the mechanic as he diagnosed her car.

"I don't usually work on cars like this." He made a face at Eric over Coralee's head. "I don't exactly specialize in…vintage…automobiles." They had a silent conversation, both gesturing and making faces at one another.

"I suppose this could be just a one-time thing." He begrudgingly complied, knowing how much he owed Eric. "It could open me up to a whole new clientele." The joke was lost on Coralee, though, as she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you so much." She shook his hand, ignoring the grease that was transferring to her own hands. "Thank you."

"Sure thing, miss." Chuck hadn't actually noticed it before, but Coralee was really quite pretty. "I'm here to serve." He brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed the back of her hand in an embellished motion.

Eric barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes at his friend. What a lady's man he was, but Eric knew enough to keep Coralee far from him. Brilliant mechanic? Yes. Childhood friend? Also yes. Lady's man, and not in a good way? Unfortunately, Eric knew this to be true as well. There was no way he was getting his hands on Coralee. Not if Eric had anything to say about it.

Once Coralee's car was all hooked up, Eric led her to his car, and they set off after the tow truck. Eric, however, turned abruptly down a different street.

"Where are you going?" She asked, not really alarmed…just curious.

"Lunch." Okay, it was a little early for lunch, but hey, he wasn't at work. He figured he might as well.

"It's ten o'clock in the morning."

"So." He shrugged. "I'm hungry now." He flashed his knee-weakening grin at her. "Besides, I need to talk to you. About Calleigh."

Coralee's head whipped around to face him so quickly that he was shocked she didn't end up with whiplash. "Are you breaking up with her? If you think I'm going to help you break up with Calleigh, you've severely underestimated me. There is no way I'm going to…"

Eric cut her off before she could go any farther. "Coralee, Coralee. Calm down." He smiled at her protectiveness of Calleigh. "I have no intention of ever breaking up with her. I just need…a woman's perspective on something, that's all."

She bit her lip, thoroughly chastised, and feeling quite embarrassed for the outburst. "Oh."

"Do you like Chinese?"

"It's okay."

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's fine." She really didn't care.

"Is there something you'd rather have?"

"No, it's fine. I'm not picky."

Eric shrugged, and pulled the car into the parking lot.

"Two for lunch?" The hostess asked. She led them to a single booth near a window and passed out menus.

Coralee perused the price list quickly and made her decision.

When the waitress came back to take their orders, Eric ordered the orange chicken and looked at Coralee, waiting for her request.

"Just another water for me, please." She smiled politely at the young waitress.

"You're not getting lunch?" Eric was surprised, and a little concerned.

"I'm not hungry yet."

"It's not that early." He did not remember her eating breakfast that morning. "When was the last time you ate?"

She ducked her head shyly, and took a sip of her water as Eric asked the waitress to give them a moment.

"Coralee?" Understanding dawned on him all of a sudden. "You can't afford this, can you?" He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid – just assuming that she would want to eat out because he did. Of course she didn't have the money. She was living on loans.

"Loan disbursing doesn't give out money during the summer." She said quietly, head still down. "You just have to save what you can from during the year." She fidgeted and played with the chopsticks. "I, uh…I'm still paying the lawyers and stuff, and…I usually bring my lunch."

Eric closed his eyes and took a deep breath, still feeling like a heel for making her experience this. "I'm so sorry, Coralee." He wanted to hug her. Poor kid, he thought, although rationally he knew she wasn't that much younger than he. "I should have been clearer. It's my treat, I should have said that at the beginning." _"What do you think the chances are that she'll buy it?"_ He wondered.

"You're just saying that."

"_Apparently zero."_ "Really, I owe you anyway. Consider this my payment for the information I need from you."

"Payment?"

"I need your assistance with something."

"With what?"

"Order, and I'll let you know. What do you want? Get anything." He waved the waitress back over and nodded for Coralee to place her request.

"So." She grinned at him curiously, eyes shining so much like Calleigh's. "What's this information you need from me?"

"First things first." He smiled knowingly at her. "What are you doing for the fourth of July?

"Working." She didn't need to check her schedule to know that one.

"After work? Do you have plans?"

"Go home. Shower. Sleep."

"My family has a huge celebration." Memories of holiday's past drifted through Eric's mind. "We all get together, my mom makes tons of food, aunts, uncles, cousins, everybody. It's a huge thing."

"Sounds nice." She wasn't sure what to make of the dialogue.

"It'd be great if you'd come, too."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"But, shouldn't you be with your family?"

"That's what I'm trying to do." Her confused look spurred him onward. "You're Calleigh's family. That's close enough for me. Come on." He urged. "It'll be great time. No one cooks like my Ma."

"Are you sure it wouldn't be an imposition?"

"She's already expecting you."

She thought it over for a moment, mulling the possible ways for her to refuse politely.

"I should warn you, Calleigh's expecting you to be there, too, so there's really no way out of this one."

"Well." She brightened. "I guess there's nothing left to say but, 'yes,' is there?"

"Not really. We weren't actually going to take no for an answer." He grinned cheekily at her.

"I should have figured as much." She said dryly. "What should I bring?"

He had to laugh out loud at her question. "You know." He managed in between chuckles. "Calleigh asked me the same thing the first time she met my folks."

"So, what should I bring?" She pressed him. "It's rude to show up empty-handed."

"Just bring yourself."

"I can't do that!" She exclaimed.

"Sure you can. It's easy."

"I'll bring something." She mumbled, then straightened and her eyes flashed emerald green. "I believe you have something you need from me, now?"

He hesitated, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down at the swirling patterns on the table. "You know I love Calleigh, right?"

"I kinda figured it out, yeah." She teased him lightly.

"Well." He stopped and blushed bright red, cheeks flaming.

"Eric?" Coralee was concerned. "Are you feeling all right?" She moved to slide in beside him in the booth, hand to his forehead. "Are you sick?"

"No." He smiled widely; her actions were so much like Calleigh's. The concern. The tender heart, hidden deep inside by a steely exterior. He counted himself fortunate that he had the trust of them both, that they allowed him to see them for who they truly are. "I'm not sick." He closed his eyes tightly for a split second, and reached into his pocket. "What do you think of this?" He set a small package on the table and slid it sideways, next to her.

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A/N: It might not be what you think. Don't get ahead of yourselves. lol.

R and R!!!!!

You know you wanna!

---Tricia


	42. Food For Thought

Author's Note: I have one more exam to go, but it's a doozy. Then...winter break! Two weeks of freedom...sort of. I have a STACK of stuff I have to study on break, but I should have time to update several times. Wish me luck on physio. It blows. Really. Also, enjoy this chapter, spend some time with your family during the holiday season, and Happy Channukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa, and every other holiday that I'm not aware of. Ramadan was a few months ago, but I hope that was good, too. Later. R/R!

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After their early lunch, Eric drove Coralee toward Calleigh's house, per Alexx's insistence that she rest.

"Do you think she'd mind if I cooked dinner?" Coralee broke the silence suddenly, fairly bouncing with excitement.

"No, knock yourself out." Eric, personally, was thrilled to have a home-cooked meal. He and Calleigh cooked, but unless one of them had the day off, meals tended to be…spare…to say the least.

"Does she have stuff?"

"Depends on what you want to make."

"Can we stop at a grocery store?"

"Sure." His mouth pulled into a small smile, but then a part of his mind wondered. He had no idea if Coralee could cook, but hopefully this little experiment wouldn't turn out poorly. Maybe she took after her sister and was good at everything.

Coralee breezed through the Publix, efficiently grabbing the supplies she deemed necessary and allaying all of Eric's fears regarding her skill in the kitchen. Apparently, she was something of a chef, because she needed no list or recipe to know exactly which ingredients would be required. They proceeded to the checkout line, loaded the items onto the conveyor belt, and waited patiently for the person in front to pay. Coralee fished through her purse for a moment as the cashier checked them out, but Eric beat her to the punch, pulling out his checkcard and handing it over.

"I've got it." He patted her elbow to get her attention. "Don't worry about it."

She flashed him a grateful look and acquiesced quickly.

"You're cooking for us; you don't need to pay for it, too."

"Thanks."

"Hey, you're saving us the trouble of fixing dinner, we should be thanking you."

"I just hope you like it."

He had to admit, he was confused by the gamesh of ingredients, but he was game to try anything. His culinary tastes were varied, and he hadn't found too much that he couldn't at least…swallow. Eric grew up with sisters, and some of their kitchen creations had been less than...palatable, but he'd learned through the years, to just swallow and smile. If need be, he could always pull out those old skills again.

He dropped Coralee off at the house, inviting her again to make herself at home, and headed back to work. He was going to have to work late tonight to make up the lost time, but it was worth it. Hopefully Chuck could fix her car, he could solve the case he was working on, then he could go home and relax for the rest of the evening with Calleigh. He wracked his brain and tried to remember the last time he'd actually spent a night in his bed at his apartment, and it took a few seconds to find it. About a month ago, Calleigh had come up to him timidly and still red and moist from her shower.

"_I'm sorry." She'd blurted out, then paused, continuing only at his quirked eyebrow. "I forgot my shampoo and conditioner at your house."_

"_Okay?" He wasn't sure what reply she was expecting. _

"_I didn't do it on purpose." Her eyes darted around the living room nervously, searching for something…anything…that she could pick up and fiddle with. Something to busy her hands and help ease the trembling nerves that had moved into her stomach. This was silly. She was a grown woman, and here she stood nervously confronting ERIC of all people, apologizing for an honest mistake that couldn't possibly hurt either one of them. She just didn't want him to get the wrong idea. Squaring her shoulders, she drew herself up and flashed him a confident smile. "I just forgot it. I wouldn't do that. I promise I'll get it tomorrow."_

"_Calleigh, I'm a little confused here." He confessed, settling his hands gently on her hipbones. "What's the big deal? You forgot your shampoo. Do you need me to go get it? Is that the problem?"_

"_No." She couldn't meet his eyes, embarrassed by the whole situation. "I just don't want you to think I'm leaving my stuff at your house on purpose." She figured he wouldn't be upset, but Calleigh wanted to ensure that he didn't misinterpret her purpose. _

_He blew out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he waited for her reply. "Calleigh." He kissed her forehead, a ritual of sorts that he'd developed whenever he wanted to convey his deepest affection. "You can leave whatever you want at my house. I don't mind. It'd make it easier for you. Then you won't have to cart bags of stuff back and forth all the time." _

"_Yeah?" She'd seemed surprised, and Eric found he loved the way her eyes lit up when she wasn't expecting something good. Her smile was bigger than usual, too, and it moved something deep inside him…and something not so deep inside him, too. _

"_You should probably leave some stuff here, too." She spoke against his mouth. "It's just practical, you know. Saves time and gasoline, and carbon emissions into the atmosphere."_

"_I didn't realize you were such an environmentalist." He teased her as he nipped lightly along her jaw line. _

"_You know me." She breathed. "Global warming is my primary concern. Save the whales, you know it!"_

"_Well, as long as it's good for the environment." The hole in the ozone layer was the farthest thing from his mind the minute Calleigh wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back down to her, pushing him backwards against the sofa and climbing onto his lap, the tie on her robe hanging limply at her sides as Eric deftly pulled it open with quick fingers. _

That was as close as they'd gotten to the "do you want to move in" talk. He hadn't exactly officially moved into her house, but he had to admit, there was something oddly satisfying about seeing his clothes hanging in the closet beside hers. His laundry in the hamper mingling with hers. She'd even cleaned out a few drawers for him "because you never know." Now his toothbrush sat in her holder, he used her toothpaste, his shampoo rested next to hers in the extra large over the shower head holder she'd purchased the day after their conversation. He knew he had at least four pairs of shoes in her hall closet, and more than a few DVDs had migrated from his collection to hers, already carefully alphabetized and arranged by genre (let it never be said that Calleigh Duquesne was unorganized). They shopped for groceries together now, and he could find his choices of products and brands in her pantry, cooling in her freezer. It was nice, to put it mildly. It had that homey feeling, domestic, and…normal. He treasured every second of it.

Even with the additional hours he put in that evening at the lab to close out his case, Eric still beat Calleigh home. Walking in the door, a myriad of smells and sounds assaulted his senses. He took a deep breath of the aromas and followed his nose and ears into the kitchen. Coralee was barefoot in the kitchen, wearing Calleigh's apron and cooking, dancing to…something on Calleigh's CD player. He stepped back for a minute and watched, trying to figure out what she was listening to. The rhythms were distinctly Latin and sultry. He vaguely remembered purchasing some Cuban jazz and other salsa rhythms, but it had never occurred to him to actually dance to them. He wondered if Calleigh would ever agree to a night of Latin dancing. He knew of a great club…he could take the girls out…make an evening of it. Coralee could use a diversion, and Eric was certain he could think of nothing sexier than dancing to the sensual beats and rhythms of a good rumba or samba with Calleigh.

"Oh!" Coralee spun around, hands full of ingredients, and stopped suddenly when she spied Eric leaning against the door frame. "I didn't hear you come in."

Eric stepped further into the kitchen and sniffed at a pot on the stove. "What's this?"

"Dinner." She answered him simply, as if the answer were really that obvious. "_Boys_." She figured.

"Yeah, but what IS it?" He didn't recognize the yellow mass of…sticky stuff…in the bottom of the pan.

"You'll see."

"What else are you making?" He opened the oven door and peeked inside, but she swatted his hands away and shut the door back.

"It won't bake if you let all the heat out."

"Yeah, but what is it?"

He reminded Coralee of a kid at Christmas with his eyes all lit up and that mischievous smile drawn on his face. "Here." She handed him a wooden spoon. "Stir this. Make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom."

"Like this?" He moved the yellow stuff around a little.

"Sure."

Eric watched her curiously as she scurried around, adding fresh ingredients to the stock pot. "Does Calleigh have a grill?"

"Yeah, it's out back." He pointed in the direction of the patio.

"Can you grill something for me?"

"Sure." Eric was a man, and he loved to grill. "Now?"

The timer went off, and Coralee scooted him out of the way as she removed a pan of biscuits from the oven, carefully removing them and sitting them on a cooling rack. "I sat the table already," She began distractedly. "If you could grill these, I'll put the food on. When will Calleigh be home?"

"Any minute now."

"Okay." She handed him a plate of skewered shrimp. "Grill these, and I'll take care of everything else."

"Hey, Eric." She poked her head out the back door a few minutes later. "I'm going to go for a run, okay? Dinner's all ready."

"You're not eating?" He looked up from the shrimp with surprise.

"I already ate. You kids enjoy." She winked at him and stepped back to shut the door.

"Take you cell phone with you." Eric called after her, police instinct always on alert. Sure, they were in Bal Harbor, but still, stuff could happen.

"Yes, Mom." She laughed and rolled her eyes, but grabbed her phone off the counter anyway on her way out the front door. She ran into Calleigh in the driveway. "Dinner's ready. Eric's on the patio." She called out as she jogged toward the street.

Calleigh watched her go, then made her way into the house, stopping suddenly as she got to the dining room. The table was set beautifully, and dinner smelled…like home.

"Hey, you." Eric sidled up to her and kissed her. "What do I do with these?" He held out the plate of grilled shrimp.

"Here." She placed a skewer on top of the yellow stuff Eric was so curious about.

"What is it?"

"Shrimp and grits." Her eyes danced as she surveyed the spread. "I can't believe you did this."

"I didn't." He continued at her disbelieving look. "Coralee made it. I just did the grilling."

"Wow." She sat down and took a sip of her sweet tea. "I can't believe she did all this."

"Should we wait for her?"

Calleigh's eyes swept over the table, and she shook her head. "She only sat places for two." She was touched, truly. Her sister had spent how many hours cooking this feast for her. She wondered what it would have been like to have Coralee around when they were children. What kind of mischief could they have gotten into back then? She was such a sweet girl, really, and Calleigh supposed they could have found all sorts of shenanigans back in Darnell.

"Biscuit?" Eric's soft voice jolted her into reality again.

"Yes, thank you."

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah." She signed. "I just…I can't believe she did all this." She buttered her biscuit and took a bit, eyes rolling back in her head. "These are amazing. They're homemade. Have you tried one?"

Eric shook his head and took a bite as well. "Wow." He pointed to a pan of something he didn't recognize. "What's that?"

"Black eyed peas." She pointed to the rest of the food on the table. "Cabbage, maybe, and some kind of soup."

"You don't know?" He was a little surprised. "This isn't Louisiana food?"

"It's southern, but no, not Louisiana."

"It's really good." He said around a mouthful of shrimp and grits. The grits were smooth and creamy, and nothing he'd ever expected. "She can cook, I'll give her that."

Calleigh nodded as she took a taste of the soup, surprised at the distinctive seafood flavor that exploded in her mouth. "Try the soup." She instructed excitedly.

They finished their meal quickly; cleared the table, and were almost finished cleaning up the dishes when Coralee returned from her workout, breathing heavily and dripping with sweat. "I can finish that." She offered as she took a drink of water from the faucet.

"You did enough already." Calleigh smiled at her. "Have you eaten?"

"I'll eat in a little bit." She heaved, breathless from her run. "I've gotta unwind for a bit first."

"Did you clean my house, too?" Calleigh noticed the tell-tale signs of vacuum lines in the carpet, the conspicuous lack of dust on her shelves, the cleanliness of her kitchen.

"Just a little." Coralee shrugged. "You're letting me stay here, I figured it was the least I could do."

"You didn't have to do anything." Calleigh tried to explain. "You were supposed to be relaxing, today."

"I did relax." Coralee protested. "Cooking relaxes me."

"Where did you learn to cook like that?" Eric interrupted their conversation. "And what was it?"

"I worked at a restaurant in high school." She said simply, as if that would explain everything. "And what was what?"

"Biscuits and shrimp and grits." Calleigh stated. "That's all I recognized."

"She-crab soup. Baked cabbage, Alabama biscuits, and southern style black eyed peas."

Eric's eyes widened in surprise. He'd heard of some of these dishes, but he'd never actually tasted them.

"Well," Calleigh dried the last dish, and put it away. "You're going to relax now. Let's go for a swim."

Coralee looked at her, a little suspicious. "I don't have a swimsuit with me."

"We're about the same size." Calleigh pointed out. "Borrow one of mine."

"Okay."

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Author's Note: That was chapter 42. It's kind of short, because I have 14 lectures of physio to learn by Monday. Argh. This chapter was short, but it took me a full week to finish because I have no free time. I hope it's to your satisfaction. More later (and more E/C later, too). You know what to do, kids!


	43. Things That go Bump in the Night

Author's Note: This is short. I took a short break from studying so I don't totally loose my mind. I hope you enjoy. I did promise some E/C. Et viola! Enjoy, then do your thing!

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Calleigh was awakened early the next morning by a sound from down the hall. She stiffened in Eric's arms, jolting a bit with each noise and waking him up as well.

"Calleigh?" He worried about her at night. She always seemed so sure of herself during the day, in the bright Miami sun, but after sundown, each bump in the night had her trembling. He wanted to bring up the subject with her, but was uncertain of how to tactfully broach it. It wasn't as if he could just say, "Hey, Calleigh, I noticed you're terrified of everything at night." Or "What is it that you're afraid of? Is it the kidnapping, the attempt on your life? What gives?" He signed and reflexively tightened his arms around her, drawing her closer into his warm, protective embrace.

"Did you hear that?" She whispered, hating the way her voice wavered in the darkness.

"Hear what?"

She waited for a minute, then a sound bumped again – and she cringed into his chest. This was silly. This was weak. She hated weakness, especially in herself. There was no excuse for it, and this was HER house. Her home. She was terrified in her own home. Pathetic.

"I heard that." Eric agreed with her, whispering into the darkness as well.

Calleigh took a steadying breath, and reached into the bedside table, opening the drawer and pulling out her favorite 9mm.

"I've got it." Eric closed his hand over hers. "Stay here."

"It's my house, Eric." She wasn't as brave as she sounded, but she wasn't about to admit that here. Not now.

"Calleigh, please." Eric knew she'd relent if he asked nicely. If he pleaded with her, kissed her temple.

"Be careful." She caved after a moment of consideration.

"I will." He hopped out of bed, and carefully opened the door, fiddling with the night scope and light attached to the muzzle of the pistol. Calleigh was equipped, that was for sure. He hated that she was so unsure, even now, in her own home. Hated that she felt like she needed all this firepower to be safe. If he didn't know her better – didn't understand her better – he would have been offended. It could have been interpreted an insult to his masculinity, a lack of trust in him to keep her safe, but Eric knew better. She trusted him. It was herself she trusted no longer.

He inched along the wall of the hallway carefully, silently; moving quickly into the center as he rounded the corner. A light was on in the kitchen, and he could easily determine that the intruder was in that room.

"Hands in the air!" He shouted firmly as he whipped into the doorway, weapon trained on the figure standing there.

"Oh, God."

Eric lowered the gun and sagged against the doorway a little. "Coralee, what are you doing?" This was the second time he'd found her in the kitchen late at night. The previous night, he'd found her there as well.

"_What are you doing?" He padded into the kitchen, having followed the light thinking he'd left it on when he went to bed. _

"_Just looking for some Tylenol." Coralee was standing on a stool, rifling through the top cabinet in the kitchen. _

"_I've got some Motrin, Aspirin. What do you want?"_

"_Tylenol." She stated firmly. _

"_Aspirin's better." _

"_It's also an anticoagulant, and if I DO have a concussion, I think it's best to skip NSAIDs altogether. Hence, I need Tylenol."_

"_Headache?" He didn't really need to ask._

"_A little."_

"_I'll check the medicine cabinet." He'd found some in Calleigh's bathroom, and given her a few doses, some for now and some for later – just in case. _

This night, was an entirely different episode, however. Tonight she was stirring something in a large mixing bowl, pots heating on the stove, and ingredients in different states of chopped, sliced, or diced, heaped into bowls awaiting use.

"I could have shot you!" He scolded her softly, more shaken that actually upset.

"I'm sorry." She was oddly unphased by the gun that had just been trained on her head. "I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd make you guys breakfast."

"Breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"Coralee?"

"Uh huh?"

"Go to bed." He turned, suddenly tired as the adrenaline drained from his bloodstream, leaving him exhausted.

He climbed back into bed beside Calleigh after putting the pistol back in the drawer, smiling a little as she turned toward him and rested her head on his chest.

"Everything's okay, I guess?" She mumbled sleepily, fingers tracing light patterns on his shoulder.

"You sister is in the kitchen getting her Emeril on."

"Her what?"

"She's fixing breakfast."

"It's three o'clock in the morning."

"I guess she wanted to get a head start." He sighed. He was getting too old for this. It was one thing during the day, at work. He expected to be that startled at work. It was an entirely different thing during the night – at his house. Well, at Calleigh's house. He was too tired to contemplate what it meant that he'd just referred to this dwelling as HIS house. His eyelids were heavy, and he was exhausted. Thank goodness he had the day off.

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Calleigh was up early, carefully extricating herself from Eric's possessive grasp. She sat on the edge of the bed for just a moment watching him sleep. She reached out her hand and softly traced the scar on his head with her fingertips. She loved to watch him sleep. His face relaxed, mouth curving into a slight sly smile – like he knew a secret he really wanted to tell someone. He looked good in her bed, she decided; all manly and masculine and handsome. Well, handsome really was understating it. He was gorgeous. There was not other word that began to do him justice. She loved everything about him. His biceps. His forearms. His abs. His tight little tush. His smile. His eyes. If she was really truthful with herself, she would have to admit that her favorite feature was his eyes. They were so expressive, so open and honest. Eric's eyes really were the window to his soul. In them she could see everything she needed to know. He loved her – adored her even. He'd do anything for her. It was unsettling at times – warming, though. Calleigh worried sometimes that she wasn't deserving of a man so wonderful. He was attentive, supportive, understanding – he was everything she had always been afraid to hope for. He had flaws, of course. He ate her pizza, had a tendency to leave the toilet seat up, and left his socks on the floor in the living room. He occasionally forgot to use a coaster – even though she placed them strategically around her house wherever she suspected he might need one. Still, he was fundamentally good to her. He never hurt her; never even gave her an inkling that he might. When she watched him, when she looked in his eyes, she only saw love there. Calleigh decided she'd never been so happy, so in love. He was definitely a nice addition in her home – her life.

Sighing, she pushed herself up off the bed, fingers trailing down his arm and ticking a little causing him to twitch momentarily. He had the day off, and she wanted him to get some rest. There was no reason for him to get up this early and see her off to work. Showering quickly, she blew her hair dry, dressed, and applied her makeup. Eric startled her by walking into the bathroom behind her sleepily and wrapping his arms around her from behind, burying his head in her neck, breathing into her hair.

"I was going to let you sleep." She whispered, as if speaking aloud would wake him up.

"You weren't there." He explained. "I missed you."

Calleigh's heart skipped a beat at his admission, and she tipped her face up to kiss his cheek quickly, then frowned and wiped the lipstick off. "Sorry." She smiled as she scrubbed his cheek with her thumb. "It's not a good color for you."

"Looks good on you, though." He pressed her against the counter, letting her in on a little secret about what he'd been dreaming about before he woke up.

"Eric, I have to go to work."

"We can be fast if we want to."

"Eric."

He hadn't expected her to agree, not after he saw she was already dressed. There was a narrow window within which he had to catch her if he wanted morning, pre-work sex. He'd slept too long, and overshot that window. "Maybe tonight?" He pressed against her suggestively.

"Definitely." She kissed him squarely, ignoring his morning breath, and wiggling against him, eliciting a frustrated groan.

"Don't start something you don't have time to finish." He warned.

"I'll see you tonight." She sauntered off toward the kitchen, swaying her hips a little extra for added effect. "Have a nice day off." She didn't have to worry about him following her – at least not for a minute or two.

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A/N: There you go. Short, sweet, and to the point. I'll do more tomorrow. After the exam. Argh. Exams make you ugly. Ewww.


	44. Ole

Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed chapter 43. The exam went well, I think. Grades are posted, but I don't plan on looking at it until AFTER my break. The denial lets me enjoy my vacation no matter how I scored. That's about it. Sorry I didn't get this posted Monday like I sort of promised. I pulled my first all-nighter of studying in med school. Haven't done that since undergrad! I was up for almost forty hours straight, then I literally crashed as soon as I got home. Tomorrow I fly...somewhere. It's not home, I have a little family there. I figure I'll get stuck in the great white north (no, I don't mean Canada, just literally, the cold barren place north of here where I have a layover) for a few days while they deice the runway, so I'll might get to update a lot. I'll be bored out of my skull at the airport anyway. Might as well type. Or study for one of the numerous exams I have after break... you know. Anyway. Merry Christmas. Happy Channukah. Have a great (insert holiday of choice)! Later, dudes!

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Coralee heard Calleigh pad into the kitchen, turning slightly from her perch by the stove where she was sautéing onions, peppers, and other fresh veggies in the Teflon pan. "Omelet?"

"Seriously?" Calleigh took a moment to inhale the scent in the kitchen.

"Sure." She stirred something briefly, and continued. "Do you prefer a Denver omelet or something more traditional? Lots of meat? Veggies? Cheese? Artichokes? Capers?..."

"Capers?" Calleigh asked incredulously. That wasn't an ingredient she usually associated with eggs.

"With the artichokes and some caramelized onions it makes a nice topping." She gestured to a small saucepan filled with something that actually smelled great. "Want to try some?"

"I think I'll just have the caper omelet." Her curiosity was piqued, and Calleigh was never one to let the opportunity to perform an experiment pass her by – even if it was more…culinary in nature…than her usual quests.

Breakfast was amazing, although Calleigh really wasn't all that surprised. Apparently her sister was something of a little Martha Stewart in the kitchen. Now, if only she could hem those pants Calleigh purchased a few months back and had yet to take to the tailor she'd be worth her weight in gold. Really.

She drove off to work after kissing Eric goodbye and making Coralee promise to rest for at least part of the day. Eric showered, dressed, and made his way downstairs as well.

"Morning." He greeted Coralee, who was sitting in a kitchen chair with her knees drawn up to her chest, reading something. "Whatcha reading?" He peeked over her shoulder and made a face.

"Anatomy." She glanced up at him with a smile. "Hungry?"

"I can get it."

"I've already got the stuff ready." She sat the book on the table and rose to her feet as Eric slid into her now abandoned seat. He leafed through the book

"Are these real people?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Someone cut up real people and took pictures of them?"

"It's an atlas of human anatomy." She teased him. "It's the next best thing to the cadaver lab."

"Huh."

"What do you want in it?"

"In what?"

"Your omelet."

"Whatever you've got's fine."

"Fine." She smirked at him. "Be difficult." She threw something in a pan on the stove and turned her head to face him. "What are you doing with your day off?"

"Well," He paused thoughtfully. "First we're going to your apartment to clean things up, then I thought we'd swing by the garage. See how Chuck's doing with your car. Then I thought we go see about that thing we talked about."

"Not necessary. I can clean up myself. Don't waste your precious day off like that. I'm sure you have better things to do. Things YOU want to do?"

Eric sighed and rubbed his hand over his face and eyes. It was just like arguing with Calleigh. A few months ago he'd had to convince Calleigh to let him do anything for her. She was so independent, so resistant to the idea of letting her guard down and letting anyone in. Coralee was the spitting image – at least personality-wise – of Calleigh. He was going to have to be creative, or at least extremely persuasive, if he was going to win this one. "I'm not taking no for an answer." Then again, he'd always had luck with forceful, too. Persuasive was for sissies.

"Does that line usually work on all your other girls?" Coralee teased.

Perhaps persuasive was a better tactic. "Coralee, don't make me beg. I'm too good-looking to beg."

"And acutely aware of it, too!"

"It's a burden sometimes."

"I'm sure."

"So, you gonna give in?"

"Well, I'd hate to see you beg."

"Good. Then it's settled."

"And here," She sat a plate in front of him. "Is your breakfast. OJ? Coffee?"

"Both." He flipped through a few more pages, then closed the book to save his appetite. "Why are you reading this?"

"To keep the information current in my head." She sat his beverages in front of him. "I don't want to forget where things are."

"Oh." Eric wasn't sure what else to say.

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"Chuck, my man." Eric greeted his mechanic friend. "How's the car?"

"Wouldn't know." He put the wrench down and frowned at Eric, then flashed a smile at Coralee. "It's a little old, so I have to order special parts for it. Can I talk to you?" He opened his eyes a little at Eric, and indicated for him to walk a little ways away from Coralee.

"What's going on?" Eric spoke in hushed tones.

"That car?" Eric nodded. "Is going to cost more to fix than you could get selling it for parts."

"What are you saying?"

"I'd be doing her a favor if I torched the damn thing."

"She can't afford another car, Chuck. Isn't there something you can do? Make something that would work?"

"Not going to happen." Both men were silent for a moment. "What do you want me to do?"

"Don't do anything." He glanced at Coralee, who was currently leaning against her car. "I'll talk to her."

"Sure."

"Coralee!" He called out. "You hungry?"

"Is my car ready?" It was a long shot, but just maybe…

"Not going to be ready for a while. Let's grab some lunch."

_______________________________________________________

Calleigh dragged herself in the front door, tired from a long day at work. "I'm home." She called out.

"In the kitchen."

She slipped off her shoes and walked into the aforementioned room. Eric and Coralee were fixing dinner – just soup and salad this time.

"We're almost finished." Eric smiled at her from his assigned station, stirring the soup. "Go get showered up and change. We're going dancing tonight."

"Dancing?"

"That's right." He put the spoon down and spun her around. "Dancing. Now go get ready."

"That's so sweet." Coralee cooed when Calleigh was gone.

"You grab the next shower." Eric pointed at her. "You're not ready either."

"Ready?" She hmphed. "For what?"

"Did I stutter?" Eric teased her. "We're going dancing." He thought he was starting to sound like a broken record.

"No, YOU'RE going dancing."

"WE'RE going dancing." He tapped her forehead. "You're coming, too."

"No, I'm not." She had a million reasons not to go just waiting, and she could pull them out of her sleeve at a moment's notice.

"Come on, Cor." He pleaded. "I saw you the other day…in the kitchen…you like to dance. Don't deny it…come on…you know you want to."

"Eric," She rolled her eyes. He was right, and she hated that. "You two go out. You don't need a third wheel dragging along behind you. Go out. Have a good time. Alone. With your girlfriend. NOT your girlfriend and her half-sister."

"Sister." He corrected. "And maybe I want to take two pretty girls dancing. What guy could ask for more."

"I don't have anything to wear." Play the girl-card. Maybe that would do it.

"Borrow something of mine." Calleigh shocked them both, but she'd overheard the conversation and decided to intervine. "Come on, Cor." She nudged her with her shoulder. "It'll be fun."

"I don't know…" Calleigh was already pulling her out of the kitchen and into the master bedroom.

"What are you, a size two? Four?"

"Depends on the brand." This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

"Pants, skirt, or dress?"

"Huh?"

"What do you want to wear?"

"Whatever you don't mind lending."

"How about this?" Calleigh emerged from the closet with a pair of slim black pants and a deep plum top. "This color would look great on you."

"Are you sure?" She fingered the fabric. It even felt expensive. "This is awfully nice."

"It's too dark on me." Calleigh dismissed her. "Washes me out. With your dark hair and your complexion, it'll be better on you."

"Jewel tones look good on everyone." Coralee called her bluff. "This would look great on you."

"Well, it'll look better on you. You wear it." She dropped the clothes on the bed. "Try it on." She nodded toward the bathroom. "I've got other stuff if it doesn't fit. Go!" She smiled as Coralee disappeared into the bathroom, the picked out a dark navy blue dress for herself. She slipped it on experimentally and looked in the full-length mirror. This would do. She was about to take it off and put on her bathrobe when she heard the door knob turn.

"Wow." Coralee's eyes opened wide when she exited the bathroom. "You look amazing. That dress is…wow."

She did look stunning. The neckline was just low enough, and the three thin straps crossed in the back, making a delicate woven pattern on the ivory skin of her back.

"And that shirt if phenomenal on you." Calleigh was right, as always. She did have a knack for color and fashion. "What size shoe do you wear?"

"Five."

"Well, I can't help you there. Do you have anything?"

"I have some. They'll do."

"Okay." Calleigh was uncertain of what to say next. "Well, let's shower and eat, and then we can go."

__________________________________________________

Eric dropped back a little, hands full of drinks, as Calleigh and Coralee laughed about something he couldn't hear. Calleigh was a vision in her blue dress. Her hair sparkled in the lights of the club, eyes shining with happiness. _"I'm a lucky man." _He thought to himself as he joined them and passed out the drinks. "What's so funny?"

The evening was fantastic; Eric coaxed Calleigh into dancing with him, encouraging her as she tried her hand at Latin dances.

"Just relax." He'd told her, and placed on hand on each hip. "Feel the music and relax into it." She smiled at him, and Eric suddenly forgot why they were on the dance floor as his brain went all mushy and she kissed him.

"Why don't you just dance with Coralee?" She suggested after she stepped on his shoes for the fifth time. "She actually knows what she's doing." They looked over at her sister, who was currently dancing with…someone. "Where did she learn that?"

"School." Eric had already asked. "It was an elective she took in college."

"Really?"

"So, if she can learn it, you can, too." He knew a challenge would not go uncontested by Calleigh Duquesne.

"Of course I can." She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye. "Okay. Let's try again."

"I came here to dance with you, you know?" He whispered in her ear, breath tickling a little. "I'll dance with her in a minute, but, uh…you…you are the reason we're here. You look amazing tonight." He brushed her shoulder with his lips then twirled her around him. "That's it." He encouraged. "You're getting it." Eric was suddenly very grateful to his mother for making him spend all those Saturday afternoons learning how to dance. She had promised him it would come in handy one day – that the lady's love a man who can dance. Apparently she was right, because if the way Calleigh was looking at him as they swirled and dipped was any indication, he was going to have to take her dancing more often. He gripped her to him tightly, loving the way she felt in his arms. Calleigh had rhythm, and she was a quick study. After a few songs, she'd relaxed and learned to follow his lead as he expertly led her around the dance floor. She'd never looked sexier, either, and Eric found his mind…drifting.

The music ended, and all three made their way back to the table. "More drinks?" Eric offered. He'd long since switched to soda, since he was planning on driving them home.

"Something with an umbrella in it." Calleigh smiled at him, thoroughly enjoying her evening out.

"Tonic water and lime." Coralee requested. Both Eric and Calleigh had taken note of her beverage choices that evening. First it was diet soda, then Sprite, and now tonic water.

"I'm driving, you know." Eric reminded her. "You can get whatever you want."

"Tonic water and lime, please." She repeated her order, hoping he wouldn't press too hard.

"You don't drink alcohol?" Calleigh was just tipsy enough to ask her, even though she knew better. Maybe two drinks in one night was a little much for her.

"Very occasionally." Coralee looked around for an escape. She did not want to have this conversation here.

"You can get something if you want, you know. You're safe with us." Calleigh laid her hand over Coralee's, stilling her movements as she played with the used lime slices on the plate.

"I'm okay. Thanks, though."

"Cor?" Calleigh scooted her chair a little closer so she wouldn't have to shout over the noise in the club. "Is it because of your mom?"

"My mom. My…dad." She stumbled. "It just doesn't seem like a very good idea. Plus, my tolerance is like the lowest in history. Really. It's a waste of money. Half a beer and I'm done."

Calleigh nodded in understanding. Family history with alcohol was nothing new to her, and neither was the low tolerance. She'd already planned on stopping after whatever it was that Eric was going to bring her. One hangover a lifetime was more than plenty for her. She'd learned her lesson.

"Here you go, ladies." Eric sat something with the promised umbrella in front of her.

"What's this?"

"Peachy colada." He smirked.

"Seriously?" It sounded kind of girly even to Calleigh.

"What?" Eric sounded mock-offended. "I asked for something with an umbrella in it. The girl next to me suggested that." He added, more seriously this time, "If you don't like it, I'll get you something else. But look!" He pointed to the garnish. "It's got an umbrella!"

She took a sip and smiled at him. "Kudos to the girl at the bar. It's really good."

Eric just leaned over and kissed her on the lips. "It is good." He agreed.

Coralee just smiled at them, so obviously in love with each other. Life was getting better every day.

They stayed a few more hours, dancing and talking and laughing. Eric shot out of his chair immediately when Calleigh suggested they head back home, helping her up and maneuvering them toward the exit. Coralee trailed behind them a little. She'd had a great evening. It had been a while since she'd been out in public, and even longer since she'd gone dancing. Calleigh had sat a few songs out, nodding to Coralee that it was fine when Eric asked her to dance with him.

Once they were outside, Eric wove his arm around Calleigh's waist and pulled her to him, kissing the top of her head as he did so. He glanced behind him and slowed, waiting for Coralee to catch up. "Come on!" He gestured with is free arm, then loosely wrapped it around her shoulders as well. "It's a good day."

"What's that face for?" Coralee didn't understand his smug look.

"I was just thinking, every guy in there was probably jealous of me tonight." He was only half joking with them. "I mean, I walked in and out with the two prettiest girls in the joint. Got to dance with them, too."

His comment earned him a light swat on the chest from Calleigh and a kiss on the cheek, but Coralee just blushed and looked away. "Flatterer." Calleigh teased him.

"No, ma'am." He refused to change his stance. "I only speak the truth."

_________________________________________________

A/N: I have to clean my house, and get rid of all the food that will spoil. Then I have to figure out how to pack all the Christmas presents I bought into my suitcase AND still have room left for clothes. Hmm. Perhaps I should have planned this a little better! That's all for now. If I get stuff done and I get bored...you might get another chapter today. Don't hold your breath, though. I really need to clean! Have a great holiday! --Tricia


	45. Lord, Have Mercy

Author's Note: Aww. I've cleaned. I still have to finish packing, but that shouldn't take too long. I hope you like it. You all rock. I adore everyone who reviewed; you're so kind. Happy Holiday's!

Oh, yeah. It's been a while, so I'll just remind everyone. I don't own the characters. I'm not getting paid to write this. I don't own anything, so don't waste your time suing me. Feel free to contact me if you want to PAY me to write the show for you, though, because I'm fairly certain that the writers on CBS don't know what they're doing. Seriously.

________________________________________________

Calleigh paused as she changed into her pajamas, looking over at Eric who was already comfortable under the sheet in bed. "Thank you for tonight." She smiled genuinely at him. "I haven't had that much fun in a while."

He rose up on his elbows and watched as she finished dressing. "I'm glad you enjoyed it." He lifted the sheet as she climbed in and settled beside him. "Coralee seemed to have fun, too."

"You're really nice to her." Calleigh rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his torso. "Thank you for that, too. It's good to include her, I think."

"I wasn't kidding about what I said." He kissed the top of her head. "I like her. She's sweet."

"I wish she didn't feel like she has to work to earn her keep here." She was referring to all the cooking and cleaning Coralee had taken it upon herself to do. She'd even packed Calleigh a lunch to take to work with her yesterday. It was too much.

"I think it's good for her. Let's her feel like she's contributing. She doesn't like to just take from people."

"What do you know that I don't?" Calleigh propped herself up on one elbow and looked into his dark brown eyes.

"We had some time to talk today." He urged her to lay back down with one arm before continuing. "Do you know she thought we were kicking her out this morning when I took her over to her place?"

"Kicking her out?"

"Yeah."

"_I'm ready." Coralee told him._

"_What's all this?" He was confused by the luggage._

"_My stuff." She indicated. "Clothes. Whatever Calleigh packed."_

"_You're not leaving, we're just going to straighten things up a bit. Calleigh said it was ransacked."_

"_I can't just stay here." She stubbornly refused to back down. "I have a home. I live there."_

"_Your car is still in the shop." He did have a point. "It's easier on everyone if you stay here for a while. At least until it's fixed. No one has to drive you back and forth." It was a low blow, but he knew that appealing to her innate sense of imposition would do the trick._

_Coralee bit her tongue. He was right, of course. If she moved back into her apartment now, she'd have to rent a car or rely on the kindness of strangers. She was no Scarlet O'Hara, and she did not like the sound of that. _

_Eric took her luggage from her and brought it back to the guest room. "Let's go."_

"_Only until my car is fixed." She stated. _

"_That's fine."_

"She wants to leave?" Calleigh wasn't sure if that was offensive or comforting. Offensive because it might mean she didn't want to spend time with her sister, or comforting because it meant she wasn't looking to take advantage of her generosity.

"I think she just doesn't want to impose for very long." Eric comforted her.

"It's kind of nice, having her here." She said softly. It was nice – getting to know her sister a little better, outside the confines of the firing range or the break room. "And she's an excellent cook. I wonder how she learned to cook like that."

"She told me that, too." He shrugged when she tilted her head to look at him in surprise. "I was with her all day. We talked."

"What'd you find out?"

"Lots of things."

_Calleigh told him the apartment was a disaster, but Eric was wholly unprepared for the mess that greeted him after Coralee unlocked the front door and led him inside. _

_Coralee started immediately, stacking the books, then restacking them again. She had a system, apparently, so Eric left her to it. "What can I do?" He asked. _

"_Oh, don't worry about it." She looked up from the spot on the floor where she was kneeling, putting the books back into the shelves as she spoke to him. "I can take care of it."_

"_Coralee, I'm here to help. Now, what can I do?" _

_She jumped up off the floor suddenly and disappeared down the hall. She reappeared a moment later with a light bulb in her hand. "Can you change the light bulb in the bathroom? It's burned out, and I can't reach it."_

"_Sure." He took the light from her. "Maintenance won't do this?"_

"_I've asked a few times, but they're a little lax on fixing up stuff around here."_

"_Okay." _

_It took Eric all of three minutes to change the light bulb. He went back into the main room when he was finished, and helped Coralee move the coffee table out of the way so she could vacuum. He rummaged around the kitchen while she straightened things up in the living room. _

"_You've got a lot of kitchen stuff." He noticed._

"_I like to cook."_

"_Where'd you learn to cook like that?" He was fairly dying to know. He kind of doubted that working as a waitress had really taught her that much about cooking._

_Coralee didn't answer him for a moment, and Eric worried that he'd upset her by asking. "I'm sorry." He began. "It's none of my business."_

"_No." Coralee shook her head. "It's fine." She took a deep breath and looked at him. "My ex-husband."_

_Eric frowned. "What about him?"_

"_He's a chef."_

"_Oh." He pursed his lips, aware that the topic of her marriage might be a little sore at the moment. _

"_He taught me a lot."_

"_I thought you were a waitress."_

"_I was for a little while." She corrected. "I started out as a dishwasher and worked my way up to plating."_

"_He worked there?" _

"_Oh, no. We met in college. I worked as an expediter at a nice restaurant in Atlanta during college." She noticed the face that Eric made and hurried on. "He wasn't always like this, you know."_

"_Oh, no?" Eric had little use for abusive men, and he wasn't sure he wanted to listen to Coralee list the man's good qualities. He didn't really care if Edmund had any good qualities, his bad ones far outweighed anything Eric could possibly learn about him now._

"_Don't be like that." Coralee scolded. "He's not a bad man."_

"_I disagree." Eric put down the dishes he was washing and walked into the living room to face her. "He hit you. That makes him bad. It's that simple."_

"_He didn't hit me." She corrected. "He never hit me." He raised an eyebrow, but remained silent so she could continue. "I hit my head against the wall. Yes, he pushed me into it, but I don't think me meant for that to happen."_

"_He never hit you?" Eric was a little skeptical. _

"_No, never."_

"_If you don't mind me asking, what happened here, then?"_

_Coralee sighed and surveyed the mess around her. "He's off his meds again."_

"_Meds?"_

_She nodded and sank onto the sofa. "He's bipolar, and I'm pretty sure he's off his meds again. He doesn't like to take them."_

"_That's a nasty disease to have, but isn't it manageable?"_

"_There are medications, but you have to take them consistently." She hated this conversation. "He likes it when he's manic. Says he's more creative then."_

"_Creative or abusive?"_

"_His mania manifests itself in two ways: creativity and obsession." She smiled nostalgically. "He's a fabulous chef, really. And it's always during the manic phases that he invents the best new dishes, new flavors. He just gets a little obsessed about things when he cycles down."_

_Eric was stunned. He was not expecting that particular bomb to be dropped on him today. "He never hit you?"_

"_Not even once."_

"_You still have bruises." He pointed to her wrists._

"_It's not that bad." She dropped her head into her hands, and felt the cushions dip as Eric sat beside her. "He, uh. He…I know I said "for better or worse" and "in sickness and health," but I…I think that phrase should be amended to include "in sickness and health, except for when you are sick and you don't want to be well."" She hmphed. "I know it's mean, but I just couldn't deal with it any more. He stays sick on purpose. I know how it sounds." She turned and looked at him, and Eric saw the tears streaming down her face. _

_He signed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I didn't mean to upset you. I'm sorry."_

"_No, it's fine." She swiped at her cheeks. "I hate that I left him. I really do. It makes me a hypocrite; I'm in medical school for goodness sake. But he didn't support me. Not financially, but he didn't support me going to medical school. He…I stayed longer than I should have. I had this crazy idea…and God, I know it sounds so…so…pretentious. I actually thought that I was helping him by staying with him." She scoffed as she said it out loud. "I can't believe I said that."_

_She drew in a shaky breath and went on. "I thought that I was somehow anchoring him to reality by not leaving. It took me a long time to realize that I wasn't helping either of us by hanging around. I was just hurting us both. I hope he gets better. I hope he takes his medication. He's a brilliant chef, and he's not a bad man, really. He's just not the right one for me."_

_Eric had no idea what to say. Coralee had just divulged more personal secrets about her life than he managed to get out of Calleigh in the first eight years of their friendship._

"Wow." Calleigh would have never guessed.

"I know." He rubbed her back, moving her hair off her neck, and then ran his fingers through it. "She's tough."

"I just…" She didn't know how to finish, so she stopped and changed the line of conversation. "I believe I made a promise to you this morning."

Eric smiled and remembered his thoughts from that evening in the club._ "I'm a lucky man."_

_________________________________________________

Coralee was up and ready for work early the next morning. She'd packed a few more changes of clothes at Eric's insistence, and was grateful to him now. She had more choices, more shoes, more accessories.

"Where are you going?" Calleigh was the first one to the kitchen that morning as Eric was usually a little slower getting going in the morning.

"Work." She shrugged. "Alexx said to take a couple of days off. That means 'two' where I'm from."

"If you're sure."

________________________________________________

"I'm telling you, man." Ryan kidded with Eric. "She's getting some, and getting it on a regular basis. Do you know who he is?"

"Who?" Eric was only half listening to Ryan.

"Calleigh's new man." Ryan laughed. "Tell me you haven't noticed that she's been in an even better mood the last few weeks."

"I think you're imagining things."

"No, man, I'm serious." He laughed. "Has she told you about him."

"Calleigh doesn't talk about her personal life with me." He hated to lie, but it was better than the truth at this point.

"Coralee!" Ryan greeted her as she passed the lab. "Coralee, we have a question for you."

"What's up?"

"We're taking bets." He grinned at her. "Who do you think Calleigh's new man is?"

"Her new man?" She looked at Eric for a moment, and he shook his head imperceptibly. "What new man?"

"Tell me you don't know about him!" Ryan scoffed at her. "You're staying at her place, right? Who is he?"

"Well," Coralee put her hands on her hips and made a face at him. "My guess is that if Calleigh wants you to know something about her PERSONAL life, she'll tell you herself. Until that happens – and I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you – I suppose you'll just have to wonder."

"So she does have a new man!" Ryan took her words, twisting them to his benefit.

"No, I didn't say that." Coralee said as dismissively as possible. "Maybe she just bought a brand new handgun. Maybe she's just itching to try it out on a nosy lab tech who tries to extrude information from innocent bystanders. Maybe she's just a cheerful person. Maybe, and here's a novel idea, maybe she's just a naturally cheerful person."

Eric smiled as she finished her tirade. Her accent got really thick towards the end of the monologue, and with her hands on her hips, telling Ryan off like that, she couldn't have reminded him more of Calleigh. He mouthed a silent word of thanks as she left, and was rewarded with a small smile.

"Hello, there." Coralee heard a male voice behind her. "I don't believe we've been introduced."

She turned and saw a well-dressed brown haired man with a cocky smile addressing her. "How are you?" He continued.

"Fine, thank you." She didn't take his extended hand; she disliked him automatically, although she couldn't pinpoint why exactly.

"My name's…"

"Coralee!" Eric walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "I was hoping you could shed some light on the cause of death."

"I was just introducing myself…"

Eric cut him off again. "I heard you guys are done with the autopsy."

"Yeah." She agreed. "Alexx will have the report done as soon as she gets back. She just had to step out for a few hours, that's all."

"My name is…"

"Yeah, we get it." Eric spoke to the man directly, then turned his attention back to Coralee. "Couldn't you just explain it to me this once? Please?" He shot her his puppy-dog eyes, knowing they had the desired effect on the Duquesne women.

"Sure." She gave in. "I'll be in the morgue."

"I'll be right there." He called after her.

"What the hell was that, Delko?"

"You stay away from her." Eric wasn't afraid to piss off Jake anymore. He was with Calleigh now, and he didn't feel the need to pretend to be civil anymore. "You aren't going to hurt her, too."

"And who are you to make that decision?" Jake didn't take kindly to being bullied, and he'd never particularly been fond of Eric to begin with. He'd always been suspicious of his relationship with Calleigh. Even when they were dating, it had irked Jake that she was so close to Eric. "She's a big girl. She can decide who she wants to talk to."

"I'm not asking you, Berkley." Eric knew he was larger physically, so he made himself look as big as possible, hoping to intimidate him. "I'm telling you, leave her alone."

"What's going on?" Calleigh interrupted the confrontation, reaching out to place a hand on Eric's forearm, then drawing her hand back.

"Jake was just introducing himself to Coralee." He said it through clenched teeth.

"I'll take care of this."

"So," He smiled charmingly at Coralee as he entered the morgue. "What can you tell me?"

"Who was that?"

"The guy?" She nodded. "Detective Jake Berkley." He barely got the words out without grimacing. "He and Calleigh dated for a while. He's bad news."

"Oh." She raised her eyebrows and nodded, understanding. "Okay, then."

"Hey, thanks for before." He snapped on a pair of gloves and stood beside her. "For not saying anything."

"I figured that if you wanted Ryan to know, you would have told him yourself."

"Yeah."

"Okay." She uncovered the body and pointed. "What do you need to know?"

"What killed him?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated." She moved to the x-rays and flipped the light on the illuminator. "You see here?" She pointed to a grayish mass on the film. "That's the kidney."

"Okay? What about it?" He didn't see how that was important. The man was shot in the leg.

"Do you see this here?" She motioned for him to join her close to the illuminator. "That light stuff?" He nodded. "That's essentially shrapnel."

"Shrapnel? He wasn't in Fallujah."

"No, not like that." She flipped the switch back off, and moved to the white board, drawing something Eric didn't recognize. "This is the kidney." She drew something else, then another picture. "This is a nephron, the functional unit of the kidney."

"The what now?" He was confused.

"Forget it." She shook her head. "It's not important. What is important is this." She drew a line to a mass of swirly lines she'd drawn. "All the blood in the body gets filtered here, in the glomerulus of the kidney." She paused and waited for him to nod. "Blood enters the kidney here, goes through these tiny blood vessels, capillaries really, and gets filtered here." She continued drawing. "The bullet hit his femur and fractured it, but some of the bone fragments pierced the major vessels in the leg, traveled through the heart and lungs, and got lodged in the kidney, backing up blood and preventing filtration."

"Bone fragments?" He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The shrapnel." He nodded again. "Bone is very sharp when it splinters."

"But how did it get…I don't understand." He didn't see how they got into the kidney. "They went through other capillaries, right? Why did they only injure the kidney?"

"They got out at the kidney. The blood vessels in the kidney are leaky, and stuff can get through them." She drew a picture of the capillary wall on the white board. "If the kidney has been damaged by something, the holes in the capillaries are larger than usual."

"What damaged them?"

They both said their hellos to Alexx as she entered.

"Want to take over?" Coralee held out the marker to her boss.

"You figured it out, sweetie." She patted Coralee on the shoulder. "You tell him."

"Glomerulonephritis." She smiled as she said it.

"Say again?"

"Glomerulonephritis. It's a sequellae of strep throat."

"He died by strep throat?" That sounded a little far-fetched.

"Not directly, but people do." She pointed to the ball she'd drawn on the board again. "If it's left untreated, it can travel to other organs and damage them. It damages the kidneys, the heart valves – that's rheumatic fever."

"Were his heart valves damaged?"

"Sure were!" She sounded so proud of herself, Eric was glad to see her smile again.

"If Coralee hadn't taken a good look at those valves and thought to look at the kidneys, we would have never figured it out." Alexx interjected.

"He died because of kidney blockage?"

"Blocked both of them." Alexx continued. "The ER patched his leg up, but didn't think to look for bone fragments in his internal organs. If you can't filter your blood, it can become toxic and kill you. That's why we found such a high concentration of drugs in his system. He had no way to get rid of them, and when the pressure in his kidneys became too great from the blockage, little blood vessels started rupturing, and he lost a lot of blood into the abdominal cavity.

"Wow." Eric did not like the sound of this, but at least now he had a murder suspect. "So, I can connect the shooter with this guys death?"

"Absolutely." Alexx nodded.

"Thank you, ladies!" He smiled at them.

"It's what we do!" She called after him, and smiled at Coralee. "It was a great catch, honey. I'm real proud of you."

Coralee beamed for the rest of the day.

________________________________________________________

"Hey, Calleigh." She called out to her sister as she entered the firearms lab. "How's it going?" She paused and listened to the music playing in the background.

"I hate this case." Calleigh confessed. "It looks like a suicide, but I just can't figure it out. I know this song has something to do with it. It was playing on repeat."

"I wondered." Coralee laughed. "I didn't have you figured as an Enigma fan."

"You know this song?" Calleigh looked up at her in surprise.

"Yeah."

"It's not in English."

"No, French and Latin."

"Can you translate it for me?"

"No sweat." Coralee sat down and took the pen and notepad Calleigh handed her. "Can you start it over?"

"Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy."

"What?" Calleigh was a little surprised.

"Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison." She smiled jokingly. "I take it you don't go to mass often."

"That would be the understatement of the century." She joked. "What's the rest?"

"I can't sleep any more. I want you. Take me. I'm yours. I'm guilty."

"Wait!" Calleigh paused the CD again. "I'm guilty? Are you sure?"

"Positive." She repeated the lyrics. "Mea culpa. It's Latin for I'm guilty."

"Huh." Calleigh's mind was running a hundred miles an hour. "Can you translate the rest of it?"

"Yeah."

Coralee finished writing down the translation, checked it twice, and left the lab after Calleigh shooed her away.

"Hey!" Ryan found her later in the break room, heating up the rest of her lunch as a mid-afternoon snack. "Calleigh said you solved the case! That's two today, way to go!"

"I didn't solve her case." Coralee demurred. "I just translated a song for her."

"Yeah, she mentioned something about that." He poured the coffee and leaned against the counter. "You speak French and Latin?"

"No, just French." She answered. "The Latin is just a phrase I heard somewhere."

"I heard the song." He sat down beside her. "You don't just learn some of that Latin anywhere. You go to church?"

"Not anymore. You?"

"Raised Episcopalian." He laughed drily.

"You're from New England, right?" She laughed.

"Mass."

She opened her mouth to reply, but Ryan's cell phone rang. "Gotta go!" He dashed out of the room.

"Delko!" He smiled at him as he entered the lab. "What's going on?"

"What's up with you and Coralee?" Eric went right to the punch.

"We were just talking!" Ryan defended himself. "Did you just page me in here to talk about my relationship with Coralee?"

"Yeah, pretty much." He wasn't going to play around. "Ryan, you're a good guy, but leave Coralee alone."

"Whoa, what's with you?"

"She's a good kid, Wolfe." Eric was using his brother voice now, and he wasn't messing around.

"I'm a good guy, too!" Ryan was a little offended by the accusation.

"Wolfe," He cautioned. "Leave it alone. Leave her alone."

"What do you think I'm going to do?"

"Ryan, just…just leave her alone. As a favor to me."

"I wasn't hitting on her." Ryan was a little deflated. "I was just being nice."

"Well," Eric wasn't actually buying it. "Just keep your distance."

"I will, man." Ryan backed out of the room, a little upset by the conversation and the way it was messing with his plans for Friday night. He'd planned on asking Coralee out, but something told him that Eric would serve him his…family jewels…on a plate if he did.

"Thanks." Eric rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. The Duquesne women certainly kept him on his toes!

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A/N: Enjoy. Then review!


	46. Friends, Food, and Family

Author's Note: I've been internet-less for the past week or so, but I had my laptop...and I typed away regarldless. So, a few housekeeping items first: not many people reviewed chapter 45. The reviews I got were positive, so I'm taking it to mean that you all had a bang-up, fantastic holiday. Cheers! Enjoy and then review.

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"Eric." Calleigh spoke softly as she stood beside him in the lab as they went over evidence with the proverbial fine-toothed comb. "I'm going to talk to Coralee on the way home today."

"Okay."

"About her going home."

"You want her to leave?" Eric was a bit confused. The night before she had been upset a about Coralee thinking she had to leave.

"No, I just want to make sure SHE knows I don't want her to leave."

"Oh." He thought for a minute and scrunched up his nose. It itched, and he couldn't scratch it; he was wearing gloves. Touching his face would contaminate evidence or force him to get new gloves. He make a face and wrinkled his nose again.

"What's with you, are you alright?"

"My nose itches." He laughed. "But seriously, I forgot to tell you I talked to Chuck about her car."

"What'd he say?"

"It's not worth fixing."

"Shoot."

"He said it'll cost more to fix than the whole car is worth." Eric gave in, removed his gloves and scratched his nose.

"Better?"

"Yes, thank you." He grabbed a new pair of gloves and snapped them on smartly. "He isn't even trying to fix the rust bucket."

"She can't afford a new one." Calleigh's brow was knitted in concern, her evidence long abandoned on the table forgotten.

"I know." Eric looked at her. "That's why I'm talking to you."

"I'll talk to her." She figured it would be easier to hear coming from a 'sister.' " I was going to talk to her on the way home anyway. I'll just add that in." She looked up at Eric and smiled widely, her efforts earning her a loving smile in return.

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"Ready?"

"Yup." Coralee grabbed her purse and followed Calleigh out the door.

Once they were both buckled securely in Calleigh's car and whizzing down the interstate, Calleigh glanced over and spoke softly. "Coralee?"

"Yeah?"

"I was talking to Eric last night." She began hesitantly. "I'm worried that you think I want you out of my house in a hurry."

Coralee remained silent, but bit her lip and fidgeted.

"I want you to be safe." She winced as she said it; realizing how pat it sounded. "I mean, I…You're welcome to stay with me as long as you need." She hoped it didn't sound as silly out loud as it did when she replayed her words in her head. Watching Coralee squirm out of the corner of her eye, she felt a little guilty about making the girl uncomfortable. Still, it needed to be said, and she figured she could mitigate the damages later.

Calleigh waited a moment for Coralee to reply, and then plunged on ahead. "It's nice having you there. Getting to know you better." This was not the kind of conversation that Calleigh was accustomed to having, and she was now the one feeling uncomfortable as well. "Please, I want you to feel comfortable…feel at home…until you have reliable transportation again." She took a deep breath and waited for Coralee's response.

"Thank you." She murmured quietly after a few minutes of stunned silence. "I really do appreciate everything, I just hate to barge in on your space."

Calleigh smiled at her insistence, but brushed her concern off easily. "Coralee, you're not in my way. You're too tiny to be in anyone's way." She was rewarded by a small smile at last. "And I wasn't lying – we missed a lot of years. We should take this as an opportunity to make up for lost time." A shy, but larger smile was her reward for these carefully chosen words this time.

Calleigh eased the car off the highway and gently brought it to a stop at the light. "There's one more thing." She continued. "About your car."

"He can't fix it, can he?"

Calleigh was relieved that she wasn't going to have to break the news to her. "No, he can't. Well, not without costing you a lot more than the car is worth. He said it just doesn't merit the expense."

Coralee's face fell as she sighed. "I was afraid of that." She'd known the car wasn't much when she purchased it, but she genuinely could not afford a pricier vehicle. Wracking her brain for a list of all her assets, she failed to come up with one additional dollar that she could spare on a 'new' car.

"What are you going to do?" Calleigh wasn't trying to be cruel, but her question stung nonetheless.

"I have no idea." She steeled her voice to ensure that it didn't waver, but fear chilled the blood running through her veins.

"We'll figure something out." Calleigh assured her, although she wasn't as certain as she sounded, either.

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They trio headed to the kitchen when they got home and started dinner cooking. Calleigh was in the bedroom changing clothes when the doorbell rang.

"İTío!" Eric was greeted as he opened the door and a small, brown-haired bundle of energy bounded inside, wrapping her little arms around his leg. "İTío! Ride!" She demanded, sitting down on his foot.

Rather than indulging her, he bent down and lifted the small girl into the air, then settled her on his forearm, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Coralee watched from the doorway to the living room, smiling at the sweet scene.

"Thank you so much for doing this." Gloria kissed her brother on the cheek and sat the baby carrier down on the floor. Unfortunately, little Anya started fussing immediately, and Gloria picked her up. As she straightened, she spied Coralee hiding. "There you are!" She greeted. "You dyed your hair!" Gloria knew the pregnancy had affected her memory – she blamed the hormones – but she was fairly certain that her brother's girlfriend had been blonde last March when they got together for Easter. "I like it. Don't get me wrong." She corrected. "It was beautiful blonde, too, but this is nice."

Eric was confused momentarily, and then he glanced behind him. Seeing Coralee, he gestured to her to join him near the door. "Gloria, this is Calleigh's sister, Coralee. Coralee, this is my sister, Gloria."

"Oh!" She brought her hand up to cover her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Coralee dismissed. "It happens all the time."

"I'm babysitting tonight." Eric informed her, explaining the presence of the little ones. "It's her anniversary."

"Oh, okay." Coralee held out her arms. "May I hold her?" Gloria passed now nine-month old Anya to Coralee and smiled warmly at her as she cooed to and soothed her daughter, bouncing her gently on her hip. "What's her name?"

"Anya." Eric answered for his sister as he watched Coralee with his niece.

"You seem to know what you're doing." Gloria commented, satisfied that her children would be in good hands for the evening. "Is Calleigh here?" She knew this wasn't her brother's house. She'd been to his place several times before – mostly to drop off children – but the feminine details all over this lovely home were a dead give-away that a girl lives here.

"She's in the back. Do you want me get her?" Coralee offered.

"Does she know you're doing this?"

"We talked about it. She's glad to have them here." He assured his older sister, smiling.

Coralee returned with Calleigh trailing behind her.

"Gloria!" Calleigh greeted the older woman warmly. "You look fabulous. Happy anniversary!"

"Thank you." Gloria beamed at the compliment and returned Calleigh's friendly embrace. "And thank you so much for doing this."

"It's no problem at all." She assured her, rubbing Carmen's back as Eric bounced her up and down. "We're glad to do it."

"When is the last time she ate?" Coralee broke in, and then blushed when all three adults present turned to look at her.

"Oh!" Gloria shook her head as if she'd just awoken. "I fed her about two hours ago. I put in some formula and some big-girl food. She likes both. Give her a bottle before she goes to bed so she'll sleep longer." Coralee nodded her head, cataloguing all of the information for later. "Okay." Gloria was relieved at Calleigh's assurance. "I guess I'd better go. Fransico is waiting for me in the car."

They said their goodbyes and watched as Gloria walked back to the minivan, and waved at her husband. "Have fun, you two!" Calleigh called out before Gloria shut the door.

"You ready for this?" Eric teased her as she shut the door.

"Ready as I'll ever be." She smiled through gritted teeth, very uncertain of what the evening would hold. It wasn't that she didn't like children – she did. Kids are cute, really. It's just…they're cuter when they're asleep and quiet and not screaming. At least she could give these back at the end of the night, though. There was no eighteen year commitment involved here; she could handle this. _"I'm a Duquesne, darn-it."_ She reminded herself.

They both looked up simultaneously when they heard Anya chortle happily, and saw Coralee sitting on the floor helping her 'walk.' Anya had hold of each of Coralee's index fingers and was unsteadily stepping toward the coffee table.

"Looks like that little one's about ready to walk!" Calleigh joked.

"Could be." Coralee replied seriously. "It's an infant reflex. It's called placing and stepping. Apparently it's some kind of test to see it infants can…I don't know….something. I apparently didn't pay attention to closely in class that day."

Calleigh shut her mouth and felt thoroughly chastised. She knew so little about children – was so uncomfortable around them, and here was her little sister happily and confidently playing with Eric's niece. To make matters worse, she looked like she knew what she was doing. It grated on Calleigh's nerves somewhat, but she tamped that down and reminded herself that kids really weren't HER thing. Maybe they were Coralee's, though.

"Have they eaten?" She asked Eric. Cooking was something she could handle. Cooking was easy, familiar.

"Did you eat dinner?" Eric tickled Carmen on the stomach with a finger, making her laugh.

"Grilled cheese." She smiled at him as she rode on his shoe around the living room. "Giddyup!" She cried happily, and he went faster.

Calleigh shoved her hands in her pockets and stood unneeded in the back of the room. Eric was so happy, so relaxed playing with his niece. He wanted a family, and it couldn't be more obvious to her. She wasn't lying to him when she told him she thought he'd be a great father. Feelings of uncertainly swelled in the pit of her stomach, contracting her heart painfully a few times. Did she want this? Was this something she could do?

She shrank out of the living room quietly and went into the kitchen to prepare some dinner for the adults in the house. Quickly throwing a marinade together, she tossed in some chicken breasts; then turned her attention to the salads. Slapping a little peanut butter and jelly on bread, she made a quick sandwich for Carmen. Cutting the crusts off, she smiled, and placed a few apple slices on the plate with it. Shoving the plate in the refrigerator, she moved back to the chicken, placed it on a baking pan, and shoved it in the oven.

"Dinner will be ready in a few minutes." She announced to a near empty room. Coralee had disappeared, and only Eric and Carmen remained in the living room. "Where's Coralee?"

"Changing Anya's diaper." He hastily continued, misinterpreting Calleigh's frown. "I volunteered, but she said she could do it."

Calleigh headed down the hall in search of her sister, finding her in the guest room easily by listening to Anya's baby talk. She watched in silence as Coralee deftly unsnapped the onesie, removed the dirty diaper, cleaned up the baby, and replaced it with a clean one. She redressed the baby girl, cooing to her the entire time. "You look like you know what you're doing." She commented.

"I do." She smiled.

"How?" Calleigh didn't quite understand. "Do you have other siblings?" It had never occurred to her that Coralee's mother may have had children with other fathers.

"No." Coralee laughed, and handed her the baby. "Can you hold her for a minute? I need to take this…" She held up the diaper. "Out to the garbage and wash my hands."

"Sure." Calleigh gratefully held out her arms and took the squirming baby. "You've gotten so big." She kissed Anya on the cheek and looked into her big brown eyes. She was startled momentarily, realizing that she'd seen those eyes before. They must be just like her mother's, because Eric had the same eyes. Apparently, both siblings had inherited their deep, chocolate eyes from their mother. Calleigh wondered briefly if their child would have his eyes as well – after all, brown is dominant to blue. She dismissed the thought in short order, not really understanding why she was wondering what 'their' child would look like. She wasn't sure she wanted children. She wasn't sure she could be an adequate mother to one. It wasn't like she'd had any kind of real example, after all.

"Hey. Look who's there." Eric smiled at her, seeing her cuddling Anya tenderly. "I didn't think Coralee was going to let her go at all." He was teasing, but he noted the distressed look on Calleigh's face and hoped he remembered to ask her about it later.

"Thanks." Coralee returned from pitching the dirty diaper and washing her hands off. "I can take her if you want."

"I've got her." Calleigh demurred, adamant for reasons even she was unaware of that Eric see her as capable as well. "How do you know what to do with kids, then?" She resumed their line of conversation from before.

Coralee was silent for a minute, biting her lip as she pondered how honest she wanted to be with them. Deciding on deceptively honest, but misdirecting, she smiled. "I spent some time with some people who had some kids." It was true, just not the whole truth.

"What does that mean?" Calleigh was never one to let a vague explanation just lie there.

"I mean, I knew some people that had some kids." Coralee stumbled around the sentence, uncertain of how to best phrase it without giving too much away.

"I don't understand." Calleigh plunged on. "You babysat for them?"

"Yeah, sort of."

"You did or you didn't?" Eric flashed her a frown as she persisted on picking at this point. Coralee was clearly uncomfortable answering these questions, and he didn't understand why Calleigh didn't see that. She was usually a very perceptive person.

"I…uh…I lived with them for a while." She said flatly, rising from the couch and walking to the other end of the room.

"Why?" Calleigh's voice was softer now, but still insistent.

She chewed the inside of her cheek and looked for an escape. There would be no polite way to excuse herself from this conversation now. "My mom was…indisposed."

"Prison?" Eric glared at Calleigh when she said this.

"Not exactly." Coralee turned and faced them fully, squaring her shoulders and raising her chin a hare. Eric smiled at her when she did this; it so reminded him of Calleigh when she was squaring off with a particularly demeaning or physically imposing suspect. "She was in rehab."

"You were in foster care?" Eric spoke softly, hoping to spare her the rest of Calleigh's interrogation.

"Yeah. For a little bit."

"How old were you?" Calleigh's voice was softer now, too, shocked at the news that had been divulged.

"Fourteen." She shrugged. "We'd just moved to Georgia, and she got busted. The judge said rehab or prison. She picked rehab. It was just for a couple months. She did the rehab, got a job and stuff, and got back on her feet. Then she came to get me."

Eric was staring a hole in the side of Calleigh's head from his spot on the floor. He had been reading a story to Carmen, but the little girl had crawled from his lap during the conversation and was now playing alone with some toys.

"I'm so sorry." Calleigh sounded choked up, and in reality she was. She'd pushed her sister hard, and had practically forced her tell something she obviously had not wanted to share. Now, she had to add guilt to the feelings of inadequacy she was already experiencing. What a great day. Not only would she be a lousy mother, but she's a horrible sister as well. Fan-freaking-tastic.

"Don't be!" Coralee affirmed. "I loved it there." She paused, but continued at their confused looks. "I know you re not supposed to like foster care, but they were great." She took a deep breath and remembered for a moment all the good times. "There were only five of us, and I was the oldest. They were nice to us; really seemed to care how we were doing. We had family dinners and we went on family outings – all of us. We'd come home from school and she'd have snacks waiting on the kitchen table. Then David, that's her husband, would come home from work, and he'd help us with our homework and we'd eat dinner together. They were really great."

"I'm glad they were decent." Calleigh couldn't think of anything more articulate to say than that.

"They were more than decent." Coralee's eyes misted over, and a small smile graced her delicate features. "They're good people. David is an engineer. He really encouraged me to pursue science and math. And Connie, my foster mother, she taught me all sorts of things. She taught me how to sew, she was the first person to teach me how to cook. They took a real interest in our lives. They came to my high school graduation, and my college graduation. Connie died, but David promised he's going to come to my med school grad. They're really good people. I'm lucky to know them."

Calleigh and Eric both said nothing. They didn't know what to say.

"Don't look so shell-shocked, guys." Coralee tried to break the tension that had built in the room. "It's okay."

"I'm sorry." Calleigh confessed. "It was none of my business, and I pushed you anyway. I shouldn't have done that, and I'm sorry."

"No worries." Coralee brushed off her apology, trying valiantly not to sound upset or shaken in the least. "It's all good." She stood gracefully off the floor and walked over to where Carmen was playing. "Hi, there. I'm Cory. What's your name?"

Calleigh rose and walked shamefully back to the kitchen with Eric trailing close behind. He nudged her out of the way when she tried to check on dinner while still carrying Anya and peered inside the oven for her. "Not done yet." He announced, noting with dismay the way her eyes rimmed red and glistened. "Hey, what's this for?" He carefully, so as to not squish the baby, wrapped his arms around her slender body.

"I can't believe she was in foster care." The truth had shaken her; made her reevaluate her own childhood and her parents once again. "I mean, I was there in Louisiana the whole time. I had this idyllic childhood, you know? And she was in foster care."

"You were in college when that happened." He reminded her gently. "What were you going to do? Quit school?"

"That's not the point." She persisted.

"Sure it is." He interrupted her before she had a chance to go on too much farther. "And your life wasn't perfect, either."

She nodded glumly, but her eyes were still troubled. "I know, but I at least had a stable home."

"Was it that stable?" Eric raised his eyebrows at that. "Because from what I've gathered, the only stable part was Abuela and Opa. They're her Abuela and Opa."

Calleigh sighed, but couldn't argue with his logic. He was right. It was amusing to her at this moment, that he was the level-headed one and she was the one who was emotional. It was such a switch from their usual personalities.

"She said they were good to her." Eric murmured, lips brushing her ear with every syllable. "I think she really did like it there. That was stable for her. They encouraged her academically, challenged her intellectually. I think they were good for her. She turned out okay, and she isn't bitter about it. I don't think she's lying."

Calleigh nodded again, sighing, and leaned her forehead against his shoulder. He was right, of course. Coralee wasn't bitter or angry. She had a good relationship with her foster parents – even maintained a relationship to this day. Perhaps they were her "Abuela and Opa."

"Tío!" Carmen ran into the kitchen with Coralee following close behind. "Can we go outside and play?"

"It's almost dinner time." Calleigh reminded her.

"I eated already." She pronounced.

"Ate." Eric corrected her. "You ate already."

"I ate already." She rolled her eyes in a motion far too advanced for her four and a half years.

"You can play outside after dinner." He decided, backing up Calleigh's announcement. "Aunt Calleigh has a pool." He didn't miss the way Calleigh's head shot toward him when he called her 'Aunt Calleigh,' but he didn't comment on it right away. "We can go swimming. After dinner."

"Yea!" Carmen turned and bounced up and down, holding Coralee's hand. "We can go swimming! Will you swim with me?"

"Um." She made a face, realizing that she didn't have a swimsuit with her.

"Of course she will." Calleigh interjected, knowing the cause of her sister's discomfort this time.

Coralee looked at her frantically, but Calleigh just nodded. "You can borrow one of mine. I have plenty."

"Thanks." Coralee called as Carmen pulled her back into the living room, chattering happily about her new doll and something Anya did the other day.

"You ready to handle her in the pool?" Calleigh elbowed Eric softly in the ribs.

"I took her and Zoe to the beach a few weeks ago." He teased, reminding her of how he spent one of his days off. "I figure I can handle one kid in a pool. More contained environment. More easily secured."

"She's a kid, not a crime scene." Calleigh joked, but knew her question had been irrelevant. He could handle several kids at once, and handle it well. She couldn't even change a diaper by herself. They were going to have to talk about this, but that was one conversation that Calleigh did not want to have. Maybe if she just put it off a little longer. Maybe he'd change his mind and decide he didn't want children. Maybe she'd miraculously develop a maternal instinct. Calleigh scoffed, figuring that the chances of any of those things happening were about as high as the chances of her finding the Lindbergh baby in her cereal box. This conversation was not going to be fun.

Calleigh was right to make a sandwich for Carmen, she wanted grown-up food, too. She even shocked Calleigh by eating some of Eric's chicken and vegetables. Coralee changed Anya into her swim diaper and suit while Calleigh went through her drawers and found a few suits that might fit her sister. She chose a turquoise two-piece for herself, knowing how much Eric loved it on her.

"Here you go." She handed the suits to Coralee. "If these don't fit, let me know. I have more."

"Thanks for loaning one to me, I really appreciate it."

"It's really no problem. If you like it, keep it."

"I haven't picked one yet."

"Doesn't matter." Calleigh felt that she needed to make amends for her actions earlier, and although a swim suit was a paltry offering, it was at least a start. "I have plenty."

"Wow. Thanks."

"Yeah."

Calleigh grinned at the sight that greeted her when she and Coralee stepped outside. Eric was in the pool with both girls. He'd blown up the baby innertube and sat Anya in it safely, tethering her to him with the cord. Carmen was splashing happily along as he tried to instruct her in proper technique. Calleigh supposed that the small girl was as comfortable in the water as he was at her age, completely fearless and swimming around like a little fish. Eric heard the screen door shut and glanced up at the women, eyes widening appreciatively as he took note of Calleigh's wardrobe choice. It was almost a shame they had company, because as good as that bikini looked on her, Eric was certain it would look even better off.

Coralee dove elegantly into the pool, swam underwater across to where Carmen was hanging onto the wall chattering with Calleigh, and surprised the little girl by popping up right behind her with a loud "boo!" Carmen squealed, and the two swam off to the other side of the pool, splashing and laughing all the way.

"You getting in?" Eric asked Calleigh.

"In a minute." She spread a towel on a lounge chair and reclined, sighing deeply as she did so. She watched the people in her pool enjoying themselves. Coralee had switched with Eric, and had taken Anya out of the raft. Calleigh smiled as she saw the adorable baby girl giggle and squeal and spash.

"Calleigh, you getting in?" Coralee called from the other side of the pool.

"Sure." She rose from her chair and eased herself into the warm water. Making her way over to her sister and the baby. "May I?" She held out her arms to take the child.

"Of course." She handed Anya over with a smile.

"Cory, watch me!" Carmen shouted, eager to show off the new skills that Tío Eric had just taught her.

Calleigh settled into her role as babysitter, relaxing a little as Anya grinned at her and chortled. "You are just too cute, aren't you?" She said softly to the child, pulling her close and kissing her softly. She looked around guilty to see if anyone had been watching her, then blushed feverishly when her eyes met Eric's. Coralee smiled knowingly, having seen the entire exchange between Eric and Calleigh.

Anya started fussing, and Calleigh frantically tried to console her. She felt utterly inadequate, failing in her attempts to quiet the child. She bounced her, rubbed her back – nothing worked.

"Come on." Coralee whispered. "Go inside. I'll follow."

Understanding immediately, Calleigh told Eric, "I'm going to go inside and see to Anya. Be right back."

He nodded, and the girls made their way into the house. Calleigh went into Coralee's room, where Anya's diaper bag sat. She toweled off the little girl, and waited for Coralee while the baby wailed loudly. After what seemed to Calleigh like an eternity, Coralee appeared in the doorway.

"Thanks." Calleigh looked at her sister sheepishly.

"No problem." Coralee brushed her off. "Just relax." She pointed to the way Calleigh's arms were tensed as she held Anya to her. "She can tell if you're upset, and it will upset her. Relax, and she will, too."

Calleigh visibly released the tension, loosening her grip on the child.

"Okay." She announced. "First, check the diaper."

Calleigh clumsily turned the baby over in her arms, but her sister intervened. "Here." She held out her hands, and Calleigh handed her the baby. "Like this." She showed her how, and passed screaming Anya back to her sister.

"It's dirty." She announced, wrinkling her nose at the smell that greeted her.

"Okay, let's change her."

"I don't know how." Calleigh mumbled, embarrassed.

"You will." She grabbed the necessary items out of the bag. Spreading a lap pad on the bed, she gave her sister a play-by-play. "This just keeps the bed clean, but in public, it's more sanitary than those baby changing tables." She laid out the diapers, wipes, and diaper rash cream, and then gestured to her sister. "Okay, lay her down."

Calleigh did as she was instructed.

"Take off her swim suit."

Calleigh eased the wet garment off the baby's shoulders, and then dried her off gently with a soft towel. Anya's crying had softened to a sob and the occasional hiccup as Calleigh unfastened the diaper and lifted Anya's legs the way Coralee showed her. She fumblingly cleaned her up, and put a clean diaper on her.

"I'm going to put dry clothes on her." She announced, grabbing a tee shirt from the bag and sliding it carefully over Anya's head. She picked her up and cuddled her close; following Coralee out of the room to the kitchen. Coralee showed her how to heat up formula, sterilize bottles, and feed the baby.

"She's eating." Calleigh exclaimed happily as Anya noisily sucked down her formula. "Should we feed her solid food, too?" She remembered hearing something about baby food from Gloria when she dropped the children off.

"Yeah, I'll get it." She returned with two bottles of food. "Okay, squash or apple sauce?" She held up the jars for Calleigh to decide.

"Mmmm. Apple sauce." She decided, thinking it sounded more appetizing than the creamed squash.

"Okay." She opened the jar and held up a small spoon. "Let's go outside." Coralee had noticed the way Eric gazed lovingly at her sister when she was holding the baby, and she figured he'd enjoy the sight of Calleigh feeding and playing with his niece.

Coralee's hunch was correct, and Eric stopped moving entirely when he saw Calleigh holding Anya tenderly on her lap feeding her apple sauce. She looked good holding a baby, he thought to himself, and he couldn't wait for the baby to be theirs – not his niece.

Coralee stepped back the rest of the evening and let Calleigh take charge of the child care. She adapted to the role quickly, heeding Coralee's advice and relaxing. Anya cheered up quickly with food in her little belly, and entertained the adults for the rest of the evening with her antics. Carmen showed them how Anya was getting better at pulling herself up and trying to walk along the side of the coffee table or sofa – taking her role as big sister very seriously. Calleigh put Anya down for the night on a pile of blankets on the floor in her room. She had originally wanted to put her on the bed, but she was so mobile that Calleigh was worried she would crawl off the bed and injure herself.

Gloria picked the children up after their dinner, hugging all three of them in thanks for watching them. "I can pay you." She grabbed her purse, but Calleigh swatted her hand away.

"You don't need to pay us." She assured her. "It was our pleasure. How was your dinner?"

"It was great, the food was wonderful." She gushed. "You're still coming for the fourth of July, right?" She chastised her baby brother.

"We'll all be there." He gestured to himself, Calleigh, and Coralee. "Already told Mami to expect the three of us."

"Excellent!"

They chatted a few minutes longer, said their goodbyes, and parted ways.

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"Eric?" Calleigh asked him later that night in bed.

"Yeah, Cal?" He rolled onto his side and ran his fingers through her damp blonde hair.

"Why are you with me?"

Eric drew his hand away as soon as she voiced her question. "What?!" He couldn't believe what he thought he'd just heard.

"Why are you with me?"

"Calleigh, what's this about?"

"You want kids and stuff, right? The whole nine yards?"

"Sure."

"I'm not sure I do."

"Okay."

"Doesn't that bother you?"

"Calleigh, if you don't want children, then no kids. That simple."

"But you want them."

"You don't." He pointed out.

"But you do."

"Calleigh, we're just going in circles here. Tell me what all this is about."

"Why aren't you with someone like Coralee?"

"What!?"

"I mean, why aren't you with someone who wants kids, someone who likes kids…like Coralee?"

"I…I…I'm gonna be honest with you, Cal. I'm not really sure what you're getting at."

"Coralee's good with kids. Other women are good with kids – they want kids. Why aren't you dating one of them? And I'm not exactly one of your model-esque girls…I'm sorry." She was grateful for the anonymity of the dark room now. It would help hide the scarlet color her face had turned since she opened her mouth and kept on digging that hole. It was like all of her insecurities – even the one's she wasn't aware of until right now – were just tumbling out of her mouth one after another, and she was powerless to stop them.

"Calleigh," Eric's heart sank. He hadn't realized she felt like this. He had always been so secure, so content in their relationship. It hadn't occurred to him that Calleigh had fears regarding…them. "Calleigh, I love you. You. Not Coralee, not any other girl. You. I want what makes you happy, and if kids aren't included in that equation, then I'm fine with that."

She hated the way she was sounding…so needy, so petty. She didn't doubt his love for her – never had in fact, even before he said it aloud to her. She wasn't like this. She didn't get jealous of other women. She wasn't the insecure type. She was thirty four years old and confident, but something about seeing him with his nieces tonight had made all that confidence disappear. It made her question her adequacy as his…girlfriend…his…whatever she might someday be. Perhaps he would be better served dating someone more…maternal. "But what if you change your mind?" Calleigh persisted. "What if you decide you want kids later?"

"Calleigh, you're enough for me." He slipped his arm under her neck and pulled her against him with the other. "I just want you. And about you not being model-esque, as I think you put it, you're gorgeous. I tell you all the time, and I mean it. You're stunning. Beautiful. I love you. You're everything to me. If you don't want kids, then we won't have them. I don't need you AND something else to be happy. Just you. That's it. I finally have you right here, and I waited so long for this. I'm not giving you up for anything."

"But…"

"No buts." He tilted her chin up and kissed the bridge of her nose. "Just you. You and me. That's it."

"I just don't want you to give up your opportunity to have children because you're with me."

"Calleigh." He kissed her on the lips this time. "I'm not giving up anything as long as I have you here with me. You're all I need. You're all I want."

Calleigh was speechless for a minute. She heard him, and she believed him, and it warmed her. She choked up a little, tilted her head up to meet his eyes, and kissed him on the mouth. "You're precious to me."

"I love you, you know."

She smiled shyly. "Yeah, I know. I love you, too."

"That's all I need."

She didn't reply, only moved even close to him, tangling her legs in his, closing all gaps between their two bodies.

__________________________________________

Eric was hanging out with some friends of his the next evening, so Calleigh found herself at home alone with Coralee. She was surprised to discover that without Eric present as a buffer, she felt nervous, anxious, a little off-center around her sister. The two of them were so close, and Calleigh didn't realize until just now that she felt a little left out, a little envious of their relationship. Coralee, on the other hand, either had no such reservations about being alone with her sister, or she did a better job of concealing the emotion. Calleigh couldn't decide which, so instead, she chose to ignore it.

"What would you like to do for dinner?" She faked cheerfulness.

"Whatever you want, I'm not picky."

"How about we get takeout; then spend the evening on the couch watching movies? My treat."

"Sounds great!"

"Whadda you like?"

"Pardon?"

Calleigh opened her secret take-out drawer and pulled out menus. "We've got Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Indian, Cuban, Mexican, other tropical island cuisine, Brazilian, Guatamalan, Italian…pretty much anything under the sun."

"Thai or Vietnamese. Or Indian. You pick."

"I'm feeling like…Indian." Calleigh grabbed the correct menu and handed it to Coralee. "Everything's good. I've tried it all."

Coralee picked her entrée, and Calleigh called in the order. "It'll be here in forty-five minutes." She announced. "In the meantime, I have this stack of stuff I cleared out of my closet. I was going to just get rid of it, but it's all nice. I was wondering if you wanted any of it."

"What is it?" Coralee's interest was piqued.

"Clothes."

"Really?" Coralee was thrilled at the prospect of new clothes. Okay, so new to her, not brand new, but all the same – new clothes were always exciting.

"Yeah, come on." She grabbed Coralee's hand and pulled her towards her closet. Truth be told, Calleigh had cleaned out her closet for just this purpose. She'd been meaning to get around to it, but hadn't had the proper push until recently. It was humorous, kind of, that they were sister, and this was the first batch of hand-me-downs to be passed between them.

"You're getting rid of this?" Coralee held up a beautiful sky blue sweater. "But it's gorgeous!"

"I just have so many." Calleigh explained lamely. "I don't need them all. And with Eric's stuff here now, too, I just don't have space for everything." It was mostly true.

"You don't want to put it in storage or something? Get it later?"

"Nah." Calleigh liked simplicity, and that just complicated things. "I'd rather just have you take it. If I need it, you can loan it to me."

"If you change your mind…" Coralee trailed off, knowing Calleigh would understand the rest. She delved back into the box, pulling out the next item; a sleek black dress. "Really, Calleigh! You can't be serious."

"It's too short to be appropriate for me." Calleigh wasn't kidding. She loved the dress, but it wasn't long enough on her. She wasn't a prude, and she didn't require that her dresses be Puritan-length, but it was above mid-thigh, and Calleigh just didn't think it was age-appropriate anymore. "You're shorter than me. It'll be perfect on you."

Coralee held up the dress and looked in the mirror. It was a nice length on her, short, but still respectable. She was equally thrilled with the other clothes Calleigh was discarding, rushing to try some of them on, and exclaiming others (well, most) too nice for Calleigh to give away.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She was fairly bursting with excitement, jumping up and down a little as she embraced her sister fondly. "I can't believe this. This is all so nice. I could never afford stuff like this! This is nicer than anything I've ever owned."

"I'm glad you like it." Calleigh was thrilled that her sister didn't mind used clothing, and the garments were going to good use, to someone who appreciated them. That fact alone would have been payment enough for Calleigh, but the smile and enthusiastic thank you were icing on the cake.

The door bell rang, and Calleigh went to pay for the food while Coralee carefully folded each item of clothing and carefully, reverently placed them each back in the box.

"Dinner's ready." Calleigh called.

Coralee placed the box gently in the guest room and rushed out to the living room. "Thank you, again. Thank you so much." The box of clothing took a major financial burden off her, freeing her somewhat to spend some of her money elsewhere. Her school had a dress code, and she was scrambling for professional clothing this summer at work as well. "I can't thank you enough."

"You're really doing me the favor. Now I don't have to take them to the thrift store." She bit her tongue after saying it, realizing that it could be taken the wrong way.

"Well any time you don't want to make the trip, just let me know!" Coralee laughed. "I'll be more than happy to take whatever it is off your hands."

Calleigh breathed a sigh of relief the response. She didn't seem upset or self-conscious at all.

"This is really good." Coralee said in between bites of channa dal and rice.

They settled in for the night on the sofa, and Calleigh flicked on the television. "What do you like?"

"What do you like?"

"I asked you first." Calleigh smirked at her.

"Fine. I like comedy. Drama. Documentary. Movies. Everything."

"Documentary?" She was surprised. Eric hated documentaries, so she never got to watch them anymore. He wouldn't actually mind, but she hated to bore him, so she didn't watch them any more. She flipped to the Discovery Channel and the girls agreed on a show about deep space exploration and satellites.

"I have to ask you something." Calleigh interrupted the commercials halfway through the show. "What are you going to do about your car? I'm not asking because I want you to leave. Quite the opposite, actually. But I was wondering if you had made any decisions."

"I'm going to have to get a loan from the bank, I guess." Coralee shrugged. "Eric said he'd take to on his next day off, and he said he'd help me look for a car. He knows a lot about cars, doesn't he?"

"He does." Calleigh nodded thoughtfully. "Here's the thing, though." She inhaled a few times gathering courage. "When my dad – our dad…" She corrected herself. "When he died, he left a sizeable amount of money to me. I think that since we are both his daughters, that the money should be split evenly. Half to you, half to me." She waited for Coralee to respond, but her jaw had dropped and she was staring dumbfounded at Callleigh. "Anyway," Calleigh continued. "So, here's what I was thinking. I can write you a check now, but if it's going to mess with you getting loans next year, we can put it in an account in my name, and have you sign a signatory card allowing you full, unrestricted access whenever you want. That way it won't mess with your income for school next year."

"Oh, my God." Coralee was speechless. "Are you serious?"

"It's only fair." Calleigh shrugged. "That money is as much yours as it is mine. You should have it, and it's enough to buy a reliable vehicle and have some left over for a rainy day. Or you know, whatever."

"I can't believe this." Coralee rubbed her eyes, shook her head, and stared at her sister again. "Seriously?"

"Yes! I'm serious." She chuckled. "It's what he would want."

That changed Coralee's mood quickly; she went from stunned silence to uncomfortable in the space of three seconds. "Somehow, I don't think so."

"What do you mean?"

"I hadn't spoken to him in fourteen years."

"He still loved you." Calleigh reached out and grasped her hand.

"He could have tried to find me." Coralee said softly.

"What do you mean?"

"We moved and didn't tell him, and he never tried to find us. He never looked for me."

"Wait here." Calleigh disappeared down the hall, and returned moments later carrying a cardboard box. "I believe these are for you." She put the box on Coralee's lap.

"What is this?"

"Open it." She urged.

Coralee opened the box and pulled out a stack of envelopes. There were letters addressed to her, and sent back with 'no longer at this address' written all over them – in Coralee's mother's handwriting. There were dozens of them. Birthday cards, Christmas cards, thinking of you cards, letters.

"He wrote to me." She whispered. "He tried to find me."

"You keep them." Calleigh urged. "They were meant for you to have."

"Thank you so much for this." She remembered the generous offer from a few minutes before, and, though stunned, mustered up the wherewithal to speak intelligibly about it. "Are you sure you want to split the money, Calleigh? I mean, if he wanted me to have it, wouldn't he have mentioned me in the will? I think he probably wanted it for you. And I'm not upset about it, I'm really not. You're his real daughter. It really should be yours."

"Coralee Rose!" Calleigh broke out her big girl voice, using her sister's middle name for emphasis. "Don't you speak like that. Ever. You are every bit as much his daughter as I am. Was. Whatever. You know what I mean. Just because you weren't close, just because your mom moved you halfway across the country…that doesn't mean you weren't his real daughter, that he loved you any less. I only read one card, before I realized what it was, and what I read was a letter to a beloved child, a child who he missed dearly and wanted to reconnect with. I think you would have liked him when you got older. And he would be so proud of you! Hell, I'm proud of you."

"You are?"

"My baby sister's in medical school. Of course I'm proud of you!"

"Wow." Coralee was floored. Rendered speechless for the second time that evening. "Thank you, really, Calleigh. That means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it." She hugged her Coralee gently. "So, what kind of car are you getting?"

"Car?" She'd almost forgotten about the money with the shock of the letters and the revelation about _"Calleigh being proud of her."_

"I don't know. Something reliable with good gas mileage. Eric said a he knows about some cars that would be a good choice for me. They're not flashy, but they last a long time."

"Sounds like a good choice." Calleigh nodded approvingly. "What are you going to do with the rest of the money?"

"Um. I don't know." Coralee realized she had no idea how much there was. "I don't mean to be...rude or anything...but..."

"It's about one hundred and twenty thousand. Each." Calleigh paused. "Some of his investments were just signed over to me, but I'm sure those can be split as well. We'll talk about that later with the accountant."

"What?!"

____________________________________________

Eric found them a few hours later, empty take-out boxes strewn about the coffee table, still watching the Discovery Channel.

"Good evening, ladies!" He called out cheerfully, happy to see them relaxed for once.

"Hey." Coralee responded, still a litte stunned.

"How was your evening?" Calleigh added.

"Good. Good. We had fun. Thanks. What's this?" He joked. "You girls getting your geek on?"

"It's fascinating." Coralee protested. "It's about the declining populations of sea slugs in the Indian Ocean."

"So, yeah. You're getting your geek on." He patted her shoulder and moved to sit behind Calleigh, drawing her immediately into his embrace. "You ladies have fun?" He kissed her temple and smoothed her hair behind her ear.

"Yeah, we did." Calleigh placed her hand over his, and squeezed tightly. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah. Thanks. It was good to catch up with them again." To say Eric was content would be an understatement. Calleigh was amazing. She didn't mind when he hung out with his friends; encouraged him, even. She never complained about the hours he put in at the gym, even joined him sometimes. She got along with his family, loved his nieces and nephews almost as much as he did. She was perfect – or close enough to it for him. "I love you." He whispered in her ear. "So much."

"Mmmm." Calleigh murmured. "Love you, too."

They sat in silence for a while, and Eric yawed as he wondered how they could stay awake through something so interminably boring. "Let's go get ice cream." He announced, eager for something to do other than watch a TV show about sea slugs and nudibranchs – whatever those are.

"Sure." Calleigh turned her head and tilted it up to press a kiss to his jaw line. "If you want."

"Coralee?" He got her attention. "You coming?"

"Nah. I'll stay here."

"You should come." Calleigh told her.

"Do they have sorbet?"

"If they don't, we'll find a place that does." Eric grinned at her, and Coralee found herself wishing she had a man like Eric. Tall. Dark. Handsome. Sweet.

"If you're sure."

"We are. Come on. Let's go get changed." Calleigh grabbed her arm and pulled her up off the sofa.

___________________________________

"Do you know what you want?" Eric asked the two lovely ladies accompanying him.

"Not yet. What are you getting?" Calleigh loved ice cream, but hated all the options. It was too stressful for her having to pick just one.

"I'm getting watermelon." Coralee looked smug. "With coconut in it. What about you?" She glanced at Eric.

"Chocolate." He liked simplicity in his life and in his ice cream. "With sprinkles."

"Sprinkles?" Calleigh loved to tease him about his affinity for multi-colored sprinkles on his deserts.

"I'm man enough to eat ice cream with sprinkles on it." He huffed in mock exasperation. "I'm very secure in my masculinity, so mock all you want. What are you getting?" He knew how hard it was for Calleigh to pick just one flavor, and he loved to rib her about it.

"I'm getting caramel swirl." She decided.

"Good choice." He kissed her.

"No." She smiled as another option caught her eye. "I'm getting mint chocolate chip."

"Also an excellent choice."

Calleigh changed her mind three more times before settling back on mint chocolate chip at the last minute. They got their ice cream, and strolled leisurely down the board walk three abreast. Eric was about to ask Calleigh if she was pleased with her flavor choice, but when he looked her direction he found himself suddenly unable to speak. Calleigh was walking along beside him, eating her ice cream cone. Her pink tongue snuck out tentatively and licked up a drop of melted ice cream that threatened to run down the length of the cone. She felt him watching her, so she repeated the action, this time licking the ice cream all the way around, and Eric heard her elicit a low, guttural moan. He felt this throat tighten up, and he choked a little on…something. He bit his lip and swallowed hard when his throat loosened up enough to allow the action. He had to get his mind off Calleigh and what she was doing to the ice cream, so he turned to Coralee. Unfortunately, that wasn't helpful, either. Coralee's eyes were half closed, and she was licking her ice cream, too. He closed his eyes to get away from the image, but all he saw was Calleigh.

Something was dripping down his elbow distracting him, and he opened his eyes to see Calleigh smirking at him. Leaning down to speak softly in her ear, he asked her in a gravelly, breathy voice, "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me right now?"

She didn't respond out loud, only smirked some more and swayed her hips a little extra as she quickened the pace and walked on ahead of him. Apparently, she knew. And she was showing no sign of stopping.

"Hey, guys." A familiar voice called out from up ahead. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Ryan." Calleigh greeted the younger man with fake happiness. She was less than thrilled to meet him here like this. She'd done such a good job of keeping her relationship with Eric a secret. Well, a secret from everyone except Horatio, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

"What's going on, man?" Eric noted the strained quality of Calleigh's voice.

"Just walking around."

"Bad date?" Coralee also noticed the increased level of tension in the air around them. She knew that the best way to get a man to forget about something was to distract him…to get him to talk about himself.

"Horrible." He admitted. "How'd you know?"

"You're all dressed up, and those aren't the clothes you wore to work today. You fixed your hair up, shaved, and it's nine o'clock at night. You're here, talking to us rather than buttering up some bimbo, so my theory is…she walked out of the restaurant. Or she stood you up, but I think that's less likely. You would have already gone home, or at least loosened your tie if that was the case."

Ryan, Eric, and Calleigh all stopped moving and stared at Coralee during her recitation of the night's events.

"You'd make one hell of a CSI." Ryan shrugged, effectively telling her she was correct on all accounts.

"Need a job there, Shorty?" Eric hugged her affectionately. "We could use an observant pair of eyes if this whole medicine thing doesn't work out for you."

"I think I'll stick with medicine for now, but I'll keep the offer in mind." Coralee beamed, pleased that she'd been able to diffuse the situation.

"You ladies look nice tonight." Ryan observed, repeating Eric's words before they left the house.

"Well, thank you, Ryan." Calleigh blushed.

Eric agreed, they both looked nice – especially Calleigh. Coralee was wearing a white skirt and a light pink halter top with flip flops. Calleigh – Calleigh was a vision. She was wearing a turquoise sundress that flowed delicately around her knees. Her white strappy sandals accented her pedicure sweetly, and Eric had to concentrate hard not to have to excuse himself when she'd emerged from the bedroom wearing that little number.

"What'd you all do tonight."

"Went out with some of the guys from my college relay team." Eric answered truthfully, knowing Calleigh would be happy he could list something other than hanging out with them.

"Got takeout and watched Discovery Cannel." Coralee laughed, realizing how lame it sounded. "We're such social butterflies." She noticed Calleigh's appreciative smile at the inclusive "we're" she'd thrown in, further distancing them from Eric's evening out with the guys.

"Hmm." Ryan hadn't expected that, since they were all here together. "What are you all doing here, then?" He was never one to let something drop.

"Eating ice cream." Calleigh pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah." Ryan signed. This wasn't going according to plan. He thought he'd finally figured out Calleigh's newfound extra-perkiness, but he was getting stonewalled on all fronts.

They walked in companionable silence for a few minutes before Eric got fed up and opened his mouth. "Do you need something, Wolfe?"

"No, not really." He knew he was getting to them, and he was loving every minute of it. Ryan had a hunch about what was going on, and he was going to get to the bottom of it or dye trying…and knowing Calleigh's proficiency with firearms, that was actually a likely outcome…but it was worth it. "Just enjoying an evening out with some friends. Same as you."

"Uh, huh." Eric knew his young friend was up to something. "Can we take you somewhere…your car…your funeral – I mean you're taxi." That earned him a sharp jab in the ribs compliments of Calleigh's elbow.

"Nah." Ryan was loving the way his friend squirmed. He knew something was going on with Calleigh, and now he knew what. She did have a new man…and it was Eric. No wonder she'd been so much more relaxed of late. And Eric, he had been more…settled for the past few months now that he thought about it. It all made so much sense now, pieces falling into place just the way he liked it.

_______________________________________

A/N: yeah. It's long. Chapters 47 and 48 are almost ready. Just a few things I need to change and add...working on it. R/R!


	47. Promises

Author's Note: I think I got this right. It's been through about six revision, and I still don't necessarily love it, but it's much better than it was the first five times! Enjoy. Review. And don't sue me (I can't stress that part enough.) I own nothing but an old Toyota, and you can't have it. Get your own.

____________________________________________________

Eric was watching Calleigh and Coralee play along with Jeopardy on the television a few days later, and it was a sight to behold. Sister versus sister, science nerd versus science nerd. Calleigh loved the steadfast American quiz show, and she often watched it with Eric while he pretended to pay attention. His musings were typically punctuated by Calleigh shouting out the "questions," then hollering in a most unlady-like way when she was correct. He loved seeing her like this, but the current spectacle was something NOT to be missed. Coralee was ahead, but Calleigh was gaining and very determined to catch up and win. The categories seemed to be slightly in Coralee's favor, it seemed, and she was on a roll. She was cleaning house in "Medical Science," but Calleigh was edging in with "The War of 1812."

"Who is Oliver Hazard Perry!" Calleigh shouted out, jumping off the couch in triumph. "I'm going to win, you know." She smiled smugly at Coralee, and Eric laughed.

"I'm still winning." Coralee reminded her. There was a commercial break, and the girls forgot their trivia rivalry to sip their beverages. Only final Jeopardy remained, and the category was "Slavic History." Calleigh was wishing that she'd picked Eric's brain a little more about his Russian heritage now, because she had a sneaky suspicion that she was not going to know the answer.

Commercial break over, Coralee increased and clenched her lead. "What is Kievan Rus? Yes! I win!"

Eric laughed as she victory danced in between the coffee table and the sofa. "How did you know that?"

"I've read a lot of Slavic history." She shrugged. "It's like the first chapter in every Russian history book."

"Why?"

"It was the first principality…" Her answer was cut short by Eric.

"No, why do you read Russian history books?" Heck, he was half Russian, and he didn't even read them.

"General interest." She said plainly. "The area fascinates me. Don't know why, just does. I'll read anyone's history but America's. Sorry, Calleigh, but American history is boring. At least the parts you learn about in school. I'll read about the recent stuff, you know, since 1914, but before that…boring! If I'm reading about American history, it's really more foreign policy; how we dealt with international issues in the recent past."

"It's not boring!" Calleigh protested. "It's fascinating! You have to know where you've been to move forward. And you can't understand recent history unless you have a solid understanding of the events that led to it." She paused to take a breath, but Eric nudged his way back into the conversation.

"You know a lot about Russia?" Eric brought the conversation back to the point before it got high-jacked by Calleigh's vehement defense of American history.

"I've read a lot about Europe as a whole, but yeah, I've concentrated mainly on Russia and Eastern Europe."

"Really?"

"Yeah. When I'm done with that region, I'm thinking South America, or maybe the middle east, but I've already done a bit of study on the middle east. You can't study Russian history without understanding that…and parts of Chinese and Mongolian history as well. It's all connected. Everybody's history interferes in somebody else's."

"You're going to get along great with my dad." That was an understatement. Finally, someone in the family that would be glad to debate Russian politics with him. Eric had been feeling…less connected to his Slavic roots lately, and it was taking a toll on his relationship with his father.

"Why's that?" Coralee didn't understand.

"He's Russian."

"Really?"

"Yeah, born and raised."

"That means you're…"

"Half Russian." He nodded.

"Do you speak it?" Eric noted the hopeful tinge of her voice.

"I'm a little rusty." He admitted.

"Can you teach me?" It had always been a dream of Coralee's to learn and speak Russian, although she couldn't explain why.

"You want me to teach you Russian?" This amused Eric. He'd been so resistant to learning it, and she was practically begging him. "You know, Spanish'd be more useful. Especially in your line of work."

"Okay, teach me both of them."

"We'll see." Eric was noncommittal, but he actually wouldn't mind teaching her the language. It would give him a chance to brush up on it as well.

_______________________________________

"Let's go!" Calleigh shouted down the hall after work on the Fourth of July. "We're going to be late!"

"I'm coming." Coralee rushed out of the room after changing into a breezy sundress, and into the kitchen, grabbing the pies she and Calleigh made, homemade okra pickles, and the gallons of watermelon smoothies she'd made. She'd moved back to her apartment the week before. Eric had lived up to his promise, and had taken her car shopping. She'd settled on a five-year old Civic that Eric promised her was a good, reliable vehicle. She loved it. Absolutely loved it. It was silver, it had airbags, and...it had a CD player. Coralee had never even owned a vehicle with a tape deck, so an upgrade to CD player was unreal to her. It had cruise control and automatic windows...it got good gas mileage. Calleigh had been kind of sorry to see her go home, but the huge smile plastered on her little sister's face was undeniable. She was happy. She'd spent the night before making pie and smoothies...in the comfort and convenience of her own kitchen. She'd chilled the smoothie's in the refrigerator at work, and rushed to Calleigh's house to change clothes before they left for the festivities at Eric's parent's house.

"Give me some of those." Eric took the box of smoothies and pies from her. "You didn't have to do all this, you know? My mom doesn't expect any of this."

"It's rude not to do something, and you're bringing two extra people with you this year, so it's only polite."

Eric smiled and shook his head at her stubbornness.

_______________________________________

"My son!" Clorinda squeezed her son tightly, glad they had been able to patch up their relationship after its shaky spot late last year. Calleigh had been a godsend for him, able to stabilize him, ground him and somehow – get him to forgive her and patch up their relationship. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me, too, Ma." He hugged her back.

"And Calleigh!" She hugged her, too. "You look lovely, mija. Pavel, doesn't she look lovely?" She turned Calleigh so Eric's father could have a look at Eric's beautiful girlfriend.

"She always looks beautiful." He conceded sincerely. "It's good to see you again." He shook her hand heartily.

"You, too."

"And you!" Clorinda put her hand to her chest. "You must be Coralee. I'm so glad to meet you, my dear."

Coralee found herself wrapped in an unexpected hug from the loving arms of Eric's mother. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Coralee said in her soft, southern accent.

"None of that here." She patted both of Coralee's cheeks. "It's Clorinda."

"Clorinda." Coralee repeated.

"And this is my husband, Pavel."

Coralee extended her hand and shook the older gentleman's hand. "It's so nice to meet you, sir."

Eric was quickly covered in a gaggle of nieces and nephews all happily greeting their favorite uncle. Calleigh and Coralee took a seat on the sofa and tried to be unobtrusive. Coralee spied a crawling bundle in a patriotic dress and moved to pick her up.

"Anushka!" She exclaimed happily as the little girl and cuddled her.

"Why do you call her that?" Pavel asked her, not realizing that she'd spent an evening babysitting his granddaughter.

"Oh, I know Anya." She laughed, bouncing her on her knee.

"But we didn't call her Anushka." Calleigh added.

"It's diminutive for Anya…I think." She explained. "It's a term of endearment, right?"

"Right." Pavel affirned, still not understanding.

Calleigh nodded, and explained it to a confused Pavel. "She reads a lot of Russian history."

"Do you?" He lit up. None of his children had ever been that interested in his country's history.

The girls all joined Eric's mother in the kitchen a few minutes later and helped her get the finishing touches on dinner. Since her only son joined the police force she'd become accustomed to serving not a holiday lunch, but a late holiday dinner to better accommodate his work schedule. The past few holidays had been especially happy for her; he'd brought the same girl home with him for each holiday since last Thanksgiving. She was beautiful, sweet, thoughtful, and Clorinda could clearly see how in love they were. It did her heart good to see them so happy together.

Dinner was served, and then dessert. Calleigh and Coralee's pies were a big hit as usual, especially Coralee's Georgia peach pie, as were the watermelon smoothies that Coralee had fussed over the evening before. The pickled okra…well, that was more of a hit with Calleigh and Coralee themselves, until Pavel tried it, then it disappeared quickly. Coralee promised to make him some more and send it over with Eric, but Clorinda made her promise to bring it by herself.

"So, that is your little sister." Clorinda cornered Calleigh in the kitchen when everyone else had crowded around the television.

"I took your advice, you know." Calleigh smiled graciously. "And thank you. I needed the push."

"She's a nice girl. Good cook, too."

"She is." Calleigh agreed. "I'm glad I know her."

"Good." Clorinda hugged her, relieved to see Calleigh so at ease. She'd relaxed considerably around Eric's family since Thanksgiving dinner the year before, but this change was different. This was a deeper calm, an inner peace. It was a good change.

"There you are." Eric had been acting strangely all day. He was fidgety, nervous.

"Just talking to your mom." She tipped her face up to receive the kiss she no longer worried about in front of the woman who gave birth to him.

"Fireworks are going to start in an hour or so. Want to go stake out a good place to watch them?" He ran his fingers through her hair. It was shimmering like spun gold in the lights of the kitchen. "I know of a good park not too far away."

"Aren't we all going together?" She was confused by this; just assuming that the entire family would go as a whole to watch the colorful explosions light up the night sky.

"Nah." He shrugged. "I know of a better vantage point."

"Sure," She looked at Clorinda, who nodded her assent. "Let's go find Coralee."

"Okay."

It was easy to find Coralee. Just listen for the sound of happy children, and there she is. She was happily bouncing Anya on one hip and carrying Eric's nephew Mikey on the other while the rest of the brood ran noisily around her.

"Cor." Calleigh finally got her attention. "We're going to go find a place to watch fireworks. You ready?"

She seemed to think for a minute, but shook her head. "I think I'll just stay here with the kids. I think all their parents are going somewhere, too. I'll give Mrs. Delko a hand corralling them."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I can see 'em from here just fine."

"Okay." Calleigh wasn't sure what to think, although her sister had made herself very popular with the under-ten crowd.

_____________________________________

Eric drove them to what he had hoped would be a secluded park, but it was already teaming with spectators and their obnoxious children running willy-nilly and screaming at the top of their lungs. Didn't anybody discipline their kids anymore? This was just plain un-romantic, and not exactly what he'd had in mind. Grabbing the blanket, a few jackets (just in case), and a cooler, he and Calleigh set off in search of eighteen square feet of empty space among the crowd. They had walked almost all the way across the park before Calleigh grabbed his arm and pointed to a spot a few hundred yards away. They made their way over to it quickly, before someone else could take it, and claimed it with as much ferocity and pride as if they had claimed a new continent for themselves.

Calleigh spread out the blanket while Eric rolled up their jackets to use as pillows, then they took their place laying down to wait for the show. Calleigh quickly abandoned her jacket, opting instead to use Eric's arm as a pillow.

"Better neck support." She kidded him as she pulled his arm back and placed it behind her head.

He watched her lay there peacefully, oblivious to the racket made by the children around them. "You're beautiful." He murmured, kissing her chastely, mindful of the tender eyes watching them. He smoothed her sweat-dampened hair away from her forehead and gazed into her green eyes. The summer heat was oppressive to say the least today, and the mercury was showing no signs of dipping below one hundred even after dark. The humidity had to be around ninety nine percent; his clothes felt damp and limp the second he stepped outside of the air-conditioned house.

"Eric." She swatted him away. "We're in public."

"I can't tell you you're beautiful in public?" He jested with her. "That's a silly rule, and I should warn you now, one I'm probably going to break a lot."

"Just watch where you put your hands." She said firmly, although he heard the humor in her voice. "There are kids everywhere."

"I'll keep it G-rated for them." He smirked at her. "But I can't promise to do the same once we get home."

"Well, a girl has to take what she can get, I suppose." She sighed in mock resignation.

The fireworks started after what seemed like an hour of waiting. In all actuality, it was almost an hour of waiting. Eric's father had suggested that he leave early, and he apparently had his finger on the pulse of the Independence Day scene, because any later and they wouldn't have gotten a spot at all. Calleigh jumped a little as she adapted to the loud noises.

"You're so jumpy." He had to yell over the explosions lighting the sky.

"It's loud." She defended.

"You don't jump on the range."

"I'm the one controlling those explosions." She explained, and it did make sense. "These are unpredictable."

The fireworks never lasted long enough to satisfy Calleigh. There was always so much anticipation, and it was always over so fast. You wait an entire year for something, and in less than an hour it was over. She loved the way they lit up and seemed to float through the dark, illuminating the velvety darkness with their brilliant yellows and reds and blues. She and Eric remained motionless for a few minutes even after the finale ended. Finally, she rolled onto her side and placed a hand over his heart.

"Ready to go?"

"Not yet." Eric placed his hand over hers. "In a minute." He urged her to lay back down and relax. "Just lay here with me for a while."

She conceded and burrowed against his side, ignoring the way his own body heat combined with hers and made her sticky with sweat. It was still over one hundred outside, and she felt like she was roasting, laying in a sauna fully clothed.

"Thirsty?" He asked her, sitting up and reaching into the cooler and extracting two chilled bottles of water.

"Thanks." She sat and took the proffered bottle and drank thirstily.

"Calleigh?"

"Yeah, Eric."

"I…uh…well…" She looked at him, concerned.

"Are you feeling okay?" She felt his forehead, concerned about a fever. In this heat it was difficult to tell.

He took her hand in his and removed it from his forehead, holding it in his. "I'm fine." He hesitated again, struggling to find the right words. "I was just…Are you happy with this relationship?"

Calleigh stared dumbstruck at Eric with no concept of how to respond to him.

"I mean, are you satisfied with this relationship? With us?"

"Eric?" Her voice was shaky now, becoming undone. "What are you asking me?"

"Is this what you want? You and me?"

Calleigh felt the tears spring behind her eyes as she interpreted his meaning. Steeling her voice against the wavering she knew would be there, she opened her mouth, then closed it again. Trying once more, she asked, "Are you breaking up with me?" It was ironic, really. He'd chosen a national holiday – a day she'd never forget – to break up with her. A holiday they were spending at his family's house. They'd have to go back there and face them, collect Coralee. She'd have to ride in the car with him back to her house, help him pack up his things. It was going to be an ordeal. At least she'd have Coralee. She could hold it together until they got him out the door. Then, and only then, could she break down and lose it completely – and she would. That much was certain. She'd have a breakdown, and Coralee would be there to take care of her, bring her ice cream and girly movies. Sit in silence with her, or angrily bash him for breaking her heart so callously and unexpectedly.

"Calleigh." Eric touched her face with the back of his fingers again trying to get her attention. "Calleigh. I'm not breaking up with you, I was just wondering if you're happy."

"Eric!" She was stunned. She hadn't seen this coming. She'd only been blindsided like this once, back when she'd been dating Jake the first time, before she learned to read the signs and prepare herself – or better yet, break up with him preemptively.

"Calleigh, we've known each other for what, seven years?"

"A little more." She nodded, surprised with herself for even being able to add at a time like this.

"And we're friends, right?"

Oh, great. . The 'let's just be friends' speech. That was usually her line. This can't be happening.

"You know I love you?"

"Eric." It was more of a warning than anything else. She was really starting to regret her decision to not wear that thigh holster he'd found so sexy under the halter dress she'd chosen for the occasion.

"And I know you love me."

No response this time.

"I think we should make this a little more official."

The words took a little bit of time to penetrate her fury-filled brain. Slowly, she thought she heard him, then a little more time to process, put the words in the right order again. "What?"

"You heard me."

"Are you proposing?" She cried through tears. "Because you're really bad at it if that's what you're trying to do!"

Suddenly he had pulled her to her feet and was down on one knee in front of her in the dark, deserted park. Only the moon cast a glow on his face, reflecting off his white shirt, and she didn't hear another word he said, she just couldn't believe this was happening. She'd dreamed of this moment; not since she was a little girl. She had never been the kind of girl to dream about a big, poufy wedding dress, plan the entire ceremony – reception included, and maintain a stack of love letters written to her yet-unknown future husband. No, Calleigh preferred to live in reality, but she had to admit that sometimes her life with Eric seemed more like a fantasy. And now, here they were. In a deserted park. On Independence Day. With Eric down on one knee, doing what she could only suppose was proposing to her. And she wasn't paying attention. Snapping herself back to reality, she tuned in once more to Eric's soft words.

She had actual tears running down her face now, but she was smiling and her eyes were shining, so he gripped her hands in his and smiled at her nervously. "Calleigh, I know this is kind of fast, we've only been together in a relationship for a little over ten months, but we've known each other for so long, and I don't see why we should sit around and wait on something that's already so right. So perfect. It's not going to get any more perfect if we wait ten more years, so I don't want to. I want to do this now. Calleigh, will you marry me?" It sounded so much smoother in his head, he cringed at how lame that must have sounded. He had practiced, out loud even, and every dry run went better than this. His heart was pounding so loudly that it was ringing in his ears.

"Aren't you supposed to have a ring or something?" Calleigh asked him through the tears.

"Oh, right." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue velvet box, opening it with a flourish and holding it up so she could see it. _"I can't believe I forgot the ring."_ He thought, worried he'd ruined the moment. "Want me to ask again?" He wasn't sure if Calleigh was the kind of girl who dreamed about this moment from birth or not, but if she was, he was fairly certain that her dream moment included him asking with some form of ring in a box.

"No."

He frowned. "'No,' you don't want me to ask again or 'no' you won't marry me?"

"No, I don't need you to ask me again." She clarified. The wind picked up a little, offering a much-needed reprieve from the heat, blowing her hair out behind her and rustling the hem of her dress around her knees. She'd never looked more radiant. "And yes." As if she could have ever said 'no.'

"Yes?" He wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.

"Yes." She couldn't believe this was happening. Her life, her perfect simple life – she was about to get it. It was more than she'd ever hoped for, even in the darkest recesses of her mind, in the places she didn't even acknowledge existed. It was like fantasy-come-reality, but the reality was so very much sweeter.

"Really?"

She laughed at the hopeful way he asked the question.

"You shouldn't ask if you don't know the answer, Eric." She chided gently, holding out her left hand to him.

"Right." He made no move, just stared up at her in awe.

Calleigh smiled and decided to help him out, pointing to the box with her right hand, and then to her left hand, indicating her ring finger.

"Oh!" He seemed to snap out of it, and quickly removed the ring from its snug perch in the box."

"Calleigh Duquesne," He held the ring to the tip of her finger. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes, Eric." She leaned down and kissed him. "I'll marry you."

He slipped the ring on all the way and tugged her to her knees, capturing her lips with his. "You mean it?" He whispered in between kisses.

"I mean it."

"I love you."

"I know." She hugged him tightly. "I love you, too. And that was mean, what you did! Making me think you were breaking up with me."

"It wasn't supposed to come out that way." He whispered apologetically. "I...I was nervous."

"I forgive you." She kissed him heartily. "This time."

"I'm prepared to celebrate." He grabbed the cooler and handed her a bottle of sparkling grape juice. "I didn't figure you'd want to drink and drive." He explained when she quirked an eyebrow at him after reading the label. "So I brought this instead. I have the real thing chilling in your refrigerator. For later."

"You're pretty sure of yourself." She accepted the glass he poured her – well, Solo cup he poured her.

"Well, if you said 'no,' I was just going to drink the whole thing by myself, so you see, I was prepared for all contingencies."

The sound of her laughter rang out through the deserted park. They stayed at the park for a while longer before heading back to the car to drive home. Eric held her hand the entire drive to his parent's house, fingering the ring on her finger and liking the way it felt. He parked the car near the house – the driveway was full – and grabbed her hand in his, thumb rubbing softly over the back of her hand. They entered the house without incident, but Calleigh noticed the pointed looks exchanged between her sister and her new fiancé.

"So?" Coralee asked dismissively. "How were the fireworks?"

"Fine." She shrugged, not disclosing anything.

"Oh." She seemed deflated. "Well, that's good."

"Coralee?" Calleigh had a hunch that she knew about the evenings conversations.

"Yes?"

"I said yes."

Coralee let out a high-pitched shriek and flew across the room, wrapping her arms gleefully around her older sister. "I'm so excited! Yes!"

"I'm going to have a brother. In law." She released Calleigh and hugged Eric tightly as well for a second before drawing back awkwardly. "Oh. I'm sorry." She blushed, realizing that she'd just hugged her sister's fiancé.

"Come here." Eric hugged her back. "Thanks for your help."

"What help?" Calleigh was busy examining the ring in the light. The park had been dark and she couldn't really see the ring that well. It was stunning and elegant, and way too much for his county paycheck. It was white gold, with a large diamond, flanked by two smaller ones, with tiny diamonds set around the entire circumference of the ring.

"I had help picking out the setting." He admitted. "Girls are better at these things, and I wanted to make sure you'd like it."

"I love it." She kissed him softly on the lips. "And I love you."

"What's all this racket about?" Clorinda and Pavel came down the stairs after breaking up yet another fight among their grandchildren.

"Can I tell them?" He looked at Calleigh hopefully.

"Of course."

"Mami, Papi, I asked Calleigh to marry me." Clorinda passed Anya to Pavel and ran to hug her son and future daughter-in-law. "And she said 'yes.'"

"Oh, mijo!" She kissed both of her son's cheeks, then both of Calleigh's. "I'm so happy for you. Welcome to the family, dear!" She hugged Calleigh, practically squeezing the air right out of her lungs.

"Mami, please don't suffocate her." He urged his mother to unhand her.

"I'm not suffocating anyone."

Pavel shook his son's hand, then smiled and hugged him instead. "I'm proud of you. You couldn't have chosen finer." He liked Calleigh, always had, and he'd taken shining to her sister as well. That was a girl who could debate the finer points of Russian history and politics when most people her age didn't know the difference between Kruschev and Gorbachev.

He hugged Calleigh as well, whispering "thank you" in her ear. His son would be well taken care of, knew that much.

His parents paraded them around the family, and everyone hugged and congratulated them.

"You all probably want to head home." Clorinda observed the way they kept staring at each other wistfully. Eric's sisters had surrounded him, showering him with hugs and congratulations.

"Best wishes!" They hugged Calleigh tightly.

"Girls!" Clorinda scolded them. "Let him go."

The reluctantly unhanded their baby brother and his fiancée, said their goodbyes, and waved as the three made their way to the car.

___________________________________________

"When's the wedding?" Coralee asked Calleigh as she hugged her goodbey when they dropped her off at her car, loving the way her sister was shining with happiness.

"I have no idea. I'll get back to you."

"Deal." She hugged Eric, too, and waved goodbye. "You kids behave yourselves!" She teased.

"How about that Champagne?" Eric asked her. If it was possible, she'd gotten even more beautiful since he put the ring on her finger.

"Sounds lovely."

"I got chocolate-covered strawberries, too."

"My favorite!"

"I know."

"How did you get all this in my refrigerator without me noticing?" She grabbed two Champgne flutes from the cabinet and a nice plate for the strawberries.

"Coralee." He shrugged. "I had her distract you."

"How long have you two been planning this?"

"Since…the day after her car broke down this spring."

Calleigh was touched, and a little shocked. "That long?" She had no idea he'd been planning to propose for…two months now.

"Well, that's when I brought her in on it." Truthfully, he'd been planning to propose ever since January when her Abuela gave him a ring and three diamonds. He'd kept the ring once they'd removed the gems from it, planning on doing…something with it at a later date.

"I have to tell you something about the ring." He took her Champagne from her and sat it on the coffee table.

"Okay." Calleigh brought her hand up so she could look at it again.

"The diamonds," He placed her hand in his and pointed to the three stones. "These are from your Abuela." He waited for the gasp he knew was forthcoming, then continued. "This larger one here was her grandmother's, the two smaller ones are from your Opa, and I added the rest."

"Eric!" She was speechless, flabbergasted. The ring was beautiful before, but this…this was…she didn't have words to describe it.

"She gave me a ring at Christmas to use." He admitted, wiping away the stray tears that overflowed from her beautiful eyes. "Don't cry." He hadn't meant for there to be tears. He never wanted her to cry again.

"They're happy tears, Eric." She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed tightly. She felt better about it now, knowing he hadn't spent a year's salary on it. The knowledge that it was an heirloom from one of the most important people in her life, well, that just…that just…made her cry more. She had never felt so loved, so cared for. She had Eric, Maitea, Warrener…Coralee. Could her life get any better?

"Here." Eric knew she was struggling to compose herself and would be unable to speak for a moment, so he held a chocolate-covered strawberry to her lips, urging her to take a bit. Truthfully, the act was as much for him as it was for her. She loved the taste, and he loved watching her eat them. She didn't disappoint, and even with tears streaming down her face, she opened her glistening eyes suggestively as she seductively bit into the piece of fruit. Eric hadn't known it was possible for someone to eat sexily until he met Calleigh. Everything she did was sexy, gorgeous…made it difficult for him to keep his hands off her.

"A toast?" He held out her Champagne to her once she'd swallowed (an action which caused him to swallow as well. This WOMAN!).

"Of course." Life was perfect.

_______________________________________

A/N: You know what to do.


	48. Wedding Madness

Author's Note: Here's chapter 48! Not much to say about this one. Thanks for all the reviews. You all make my day.

__________________________________

"Abuela!" Calleigh waved happily. "Opa!" She was quickly smothered in their familiar embraces.

"Eric, mijo!" Abuela kissed his cheeks and squeezed him tighter than he would have thought possible, given her diminutive frame. "Now let me see this ring you put on my little girl's hand."

Calleigh held out her hand, and Abuela murmured appreciatively. "It looks good on you. Good choice, young man. I love what you did with it."

"Thank you, ma'am." Eric hugged her 'hello,' and shook Warrener's hand as well.

"I can't believe my little girl is getting married." Warrener clasped both of Calleigh's hands in his, beaming happily.

"Where is this sister I keep hearing so much about?" Maitea looked around for Coralee, but found no one resembling Calleigh.

"She's studying for an exam, but she's having dinner with us on Friday." Calleigh put her mind at ease. Today was Thursday, so there wouldn't be a long time to wait. Maitea couldn't wait to meet this new little one, although at twenty seven she wasn't really a little one anymore. Sadly, Maitea had missed those days, but she was looking forward to making up for lost time immediately.

They collected the luggage from the baggage carousel and headed to Bal Harbor to settle in for the evening.

"Mi estimada niña, your house is lovely." Abuela breathed, thrilled that Calleigh was doing so well for herself and had such a nice home.

"Thank you." She smiled demurely, embarrassed by the compliment.

She gave them a nickel tour, blushing furiously as they praised her abode. Eric busied himself in the kitchen heating up dinner and pouring the beverages. He, too, was excited that Calleigh's grandparents were visiting. They'd booked a flight almost as soon as Calleigh had shared the good news. Maitea and Calleigh chatted almost every evening, Abuela lovingly helped Calleigh muddle her way through wedding plans, although Coralee had been a big help as well, taking time from studying during the weekends to peruse linen patterns and watch Calleigh try on gowns. They had yet to settle on anything, but Calleigh had finalized a date for the ceremony.

She, and especially Eric, were not the kind of people to just sit around and wait for good things to happen. So, the wedding was planned for March. Less than a year away. Seven months now and counting. There was more to do than Calleigh had ever dreamed. Apparently weddings were rather complicated ordeals. Coralee had been married, but her wedding had more of a "clean shirt, random witness at the justice of the peace" vibe than the shingdig she was helping Calleigh plan. The guest list had been finalized, a small, rather intimate ceremony. Her closest friends, Coralee, The Walmond's, her mother (if she'd agree to come, you never know), Eric's family (which vastly outnumbered Calleigh's guest list, but hey, they're family), and some of his good friends. They figured they'd also invite the crew from the lab since they were all fairly close, so really the guest list numbered around sixty. Not too bad.

_Eric had tentatively and hesitantly approached Calleigh about a venue for the ceremony. _

"_Calleigh, can we talk?" He had sisters, and he knew that offering up suggestions for a girl's wedding could end with him missing a few vital body parts, but this was very important to him. It was kind of a non-negotiable for him, and he prayed he could make her understand. She could have everything else the way she wanted, he just needed her concession on this one thing. _

"_Of course. What's going on?"_

"_It's about the wedding." _

"_Okay."_

"_Is it okay if we have it St. Patrick's at Miami Beach?"_

"_The wedding?" She'd never actually considered getting married in a church. She didn't belong to any particular religion, and she couldn't actually say that she believed in God. It wasn't that she DIDN'T think there was a God, but she was a sensible scientist, and she liked things she could quantify, experiment, replicate – and organized religions had a pesky tendency to not have any of those qualities (and so did the unorganized ones for that matter). _

"_Yeah." He hoped she wouldn't put up too much of a fight on this, but his mother would literally kill him if he held his wedding somewhere other than a church-sanctioned location – and that location was, indeed, the church itself. Now Eric knew how Calleigh felt about religion; they'd had several debates about the topic, although they had all been friendly debates. She respected his faith, encouraged it, and he respected her beliefs…in karma and all that cosmic stuff. _

"_How come?"_

"_It's really important to me." He wasn't certain he wanted to explain to her that in order for the marriage to be recognized, it had to take place in the church, with marriage counseling by the priest, and Calleigh agreeing to raise any and all children born into the marriage Catholic. Now, he knew she didn't want children, but forcing her to agree to raise hypothetical children in a religion she believe in might be a bit much for her. _

"_Okay."_

_Okay? That's it? "Okay?" He said it out loud after thinking it. _

"_Sure. I mean, if it's really important to you, then we'll do it. Why not?"_

_God, she really is the perfect woman. "It'll be cheaper than renting a place." He figured she was going to want something at a fancy hotel or something. "And it's really beautiful inside. And outside."_

"_You don't have to convince me." She kissed him, laughing. "I already agreed. It's fine."_

"_There's a little more."_

"_What else?" She genuinely wanted him to be happy with the ceremony._

"_We have to do these pre-marital counseling sessions with the priest there."_

"_Okay."_

"_Really?"_

"_Of course." She stood up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Eric, I can tell this is important to you. The location isn't that big a deal to me. Now we have a place, and Coralee and I don't have to run all over town trying to find a good place. This is a good thing."_

"_Wow." He'd marry her right now if he could. "My mom might have already called Monsignor Vaughan and set up the first appointment." He admitted. She'd meant well, really his mother had. She'd just expected that Eric would get married in that church. All her girls had, and she wanted her son to as well. She'd been trying to help, and Eric prayed Calleigh wouldn't be upset about it._

"_When is it?" She grabbed her planner so she could mark it down. _

_He exhaled gratefully and gave her the date, but she could tell he was holding something else back._

"_Spill."_

"_Spill what?"_

"_What else, Eric?" She rubbed her hands up and down his biceps. _

"_I don't want full mass."_

"_That's good." She smiled at him. "It'd be kinda long anyway."_

_He looked at her questioningly, and she shrugged. "You do realize that my family is French Canadian, right?" Her fingers were tickling his arms now, and he was trying not to squirm. "I took communion and all that. I know about Catholicism."_

"_You did?" That took a load off his mind. Now he would just have to explain to Monsignor why she didn't want children…and maybe a few other things, but mass was on…just not the whole, four-hour ordeal. His attention span just wasn't long enough to warrant anything that long anyway. _

"_Lots of Catholics in Louisiana, Eric. We are the only state with parish's not counties."_

"_I thought it was just the Baptists in the south." He joked._

"_Lots of them, too." She agreed. "The church is fine. Really."_

"_Okay." Phew. That was easier than he'd anticipated._

It had been a long day of travelling for Maitea and Warrener, so they turned in early, politely ignoring the fact that Eric was making no mention of going to his home for the night. Calleigh was an adult, and they were her guests, so they said nothing. Both Maitea and Warrener would have cut out their own tongues before saying anything harsh or unsettling to Calleigh.

"I've got it." Eric dragged his fingertips along Calleigh's back and heading to answer the doorbell.

"Why do you still ring that thing?" He hugged Coralee hello. "You know you can just come in."

"It's polite." She refused to let go of on smidge of her southern home training. "You don't just go barging into someone else's home. It's uncouth."

She sounded different, and it took Eric a few seconds to realize she was covering up her accent. "What's with the no accent?" He ushered her inside, but questioned her at the same time.

"I read an article about how a southern accent is looked down upon in academia. People hear it and automatically deduct, like, twenty points off your I.Q."

"That's crap." Eric could think of nothing he liked to listen to more than the sound and soft, gentle cadence of Calleigh's voice. Her accent was…sexy, and while he couldn't bring himself to categorize anything about Coralee as 'sexy' (hey, she'd practically become the younger sister he'd never had over the past few months), he was able to recognize something attractive when he heard it. "Don't pretend to be someone you're not." He advised her. "You're smart, let people think you're not if they want. Then surprise the hell out of 'em. Make 'em look like fools for judging you. Just don't try to be…someone else. You're pretty special just the way you are."

"Special as in the short bus?" She teased him, but his words touched her.

"Yeah, Shorty." He bumped her shoulder with his elbow. "As in the short bus."

"You must be Coralee." Maitea spotted the girl talking to Eric and identified her immediately. She looked so much like her precious Calleigh, it would have been impossible to mistake her for anyone else.

"I am." She extended her hand politely. "And you must be Mrs. Walmond."

"Oh, sweetie." Maitea enveloped her in a loving hug, surprising her a little. "It's Maitea, dear. You're practically family."

"Oh!" She was shocked at the reception she was receiving here. Not at all what she'd anticipated.

"We have a lot of catching up to do, mi estimada niña." She took Coralee by the hand and led her into the kitchen.

Calleigh grinned as she watched Maitea and Warrener fuss over Coralee. Eric came up beside her and she turned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "They're cute, huh?" She almost purred when he ran his fingers through her long hair.

"Yeah." He wasn't really paying attention to the scene she was watching. His attention was concentrated solely on Calleigh's fingers as they played absently up and down his spine and they way her silken hair slipped through his fingers as he played with it. "You're pretty." He said softly as he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, handsome, thank you." She teased him right back, turning her face toward his chest and pressing a kiss gently there (it was all she could reach barefoot). "You're pretty good looking yourself."

"I do what I can." He jested.

_____________________________________

"Calleigh says you're in medical school." Warrener patted her hand.

"Yes, sir."

He ignored the 'sir' part and continued. "That's a good career field, do you know what specialty you're going to choose?"

"I'm not one hundred percent decided, but I think I'm going to do forensic pathology."

"You'll always have a job." Maitea smiled.

"There's something to be said for job security." Coralee joked.

"Where did you grow up, child?" Maitea patted her hair.

"I lived in Louisiana for thirteen years, but then we moved to Savannah."

"Oh, Savannah is lovely."

"It's beautiful." She agreed. "I love it there. Very different from Miami, very…old world charm with all the parks and squares and Spanish moss draping everything."

"You miss it there." It wasn't a question, more of a statement, an observation.

"I do." She agreed. "It's unlike anywhere else I've ever been, and it was my home. I like it here, too, just…it's not Savannah."

__________________________________________

Calleigh and Eric excused themselves for a while to go take a walk while Maitea and Warrener got to know Coralee. Walking arm in arm along the quiet streets of Bal Harbor, Calleigh took the time to contemplate the upcoming nuptials, and all of the additional things that the ceremony would change.

"I've been looking at a job in Fort Lauderdale." She announced.

"Fort Lauderdale?" This was news to Eric. "Why?"

"Well, it just makes sense." She slid her hand down his arm and linked their fingers together. "I've pretty much gone as far as I can at Miami-Dade, at least until Horatio retires, and we both know that's not going to be any time soon." She paused before continuing. "They have an opening as supervisor, and I think I might take it. The pays not quite as good as it would be here, but…" She trailed off. "It would just simplify things a lot."

"Do you want to leave Miami?" He, too, had been giving the question of their respective employment status' a lot of thought.

"It's not that I want to leave, but we both know IA is going to have a hissy, and this makes professional sense."

Eric thought about it for a moment before offering up something he'd been pondering for a while. "We could both go somewhere else. Not even in Florida if you want. Somewhere totally new."

"Your family is here." She reminded him. Calleigh knew how important his family was to him, and she was loath to remove that comfort and security by dragging him across the country…or wherever.

"We could visit."

"Do you want to leave Florida?" Maybe he did. Perhaps that is the reason he was pushing this.

"It just seems more fair than you giving up a job you love."

"Eric," She squeezed his hand. "How does that solve anything, though?"

"I could go back to patrol." He blurted out. "Or underwater recovery. I've been thinking, too. I could go back to school and get my masters in chemistry. There's great jobs there, or I could…"

Calleigh cut him off before he could continue. "No. Absolutely not." She softened then, and started over. "I mean, unless it's what you really want to do. Eric…I don't want you going to work every day hating what you do. It's not fair to you."

"As long as I get to come home to you every night, I don't care if I'm the freaking president or the garbage man."

He said it with such sincerity and conviction that Calleigh felt her heart actually skip a few beats, then speed up as if to make up for lost blood flow. "I support you in whatever you want to do, but I think the job in Fort Lauderdale makes the most sense."

"I'll switch to the night shift." He remembered what he'd told her a few years ago. "I'll talk to H. in the morning. He'll understand. I know he'll approve it. And that'll give one of the night shift bubbas a chance to switch to days."

"And then I'd never get to see you." Calleigh countered. "No, the job in Fort Lauderdale is days. We could arrange it so we get the same days off, no IA review, no worries. It's just…simpler this way. We should stay around here. You have family here, sisters, nieces, nephews. Everybody would miss you if you left the area. Your roots are here."

"You're amazing." He stopped her on the sidewalk and kissed her like he meant it, pouring all the emotion he was feeling into the act. "The commute would be horrid from here, though." He whispered.

"I think I'll sell it." She shrugged. "That way we can get a place that's 'ours.'"

"I'd live in a cardboard box with you."

"Well," She laughed, although she didn't doubt his sincerity. "Let's both hope it never comes to that."

"Where do you want to move?"

"Halfway in between your job and mine." She kissed him chastely once on the lips. "Makes it more fair that way."

"You've put a lot of thought into this, haven't you?"

"I have." The truth was, she'd been looking at this job for a while; she just hated to leave Miami-Dade. She had so many memories, so many good friends here, and she hated to give all that up. But, a life with Eric was worth a little sacrifice on her part, and if that's what it took, she was more than willing. Besides, it came with a promotion. A lab of her own, a crew of her own. They guys at Fort Lauderdale PD had been thrilled when she'd inquired about openings. Calleigh Duquesne was a name they knew well, and they jumped at the chance to recruit her to their department.

"I don't really want to leave the area anyway." She admitted. "Coralee's going to be here for a few more years, and she said she might settle in this area after she finishes. We could both be close to our families that way."

Eric smiled at her words. She thought of Coralee as her family, and he loved that. It also meant that she wasn't just staying in Miami for him, so he could be near his family. He knew she'd do it, and he knew she would never hold it against him, but it was good to hear that she had an additional reason to stay.

"Do you really want to take this job?"

"I think I do. It's a great opportunity for me. I mean, I'll miss everybody. Even Ryan, but it may be time for me to move on. This just…speeds things up a little."

"Horatio will be sick to see you go." Eric pointed out. She really was the best ballistics expert in the greater tristate area. Probably the entire east coast. "He worked so hard to recruit you to Miami in the first place."

"We've already spoken about it." She admitted quietly, hoping he wouldn't be upset about being left out of the loop for so long. "He understands."

"So he knows." He meant about the engagement. Eric had given Calleigh a matching necklace to wear while she was at work, so she could slip the ring off her finger and not draw attention to it.

"He probably guessed as much, but I didn't tell him."

"He hasn't said anything else to me." Eric well remembered the last conversation Horatio had with him the previous winter. "I guess he's finally figured out that I'm not going to run off and break your heart or anything."

"You better not." Calleigh playfully pushed him.

"I won't." The playfulness was gone from his eyes and voice immediately. "I never will."

Calleigh believed him, too. She always did.

The conversation was getting a little heavy, so Eric decided to change the topic. "How did Coralee react when you asked her?" He knew she'd understand immediately what he was talking about.

"She cried a little." She smiled at the memory. "I might have, too."

_Calleigh had taken Coralee out shopping the previous weekend looking for a wedding dress. This was a classic American bridal activity that Calleigh inexplicably found herself caught up in. It had never occurred to her that going to bridal shop after bridal shop and trying on dress after dress could be fun. She'd never really thought she could do this, but Coralee's excitement was contagious. The girl was a miracle, really, breezing through racks and finding dresses for Calleigh to try on, each one more beautiful than the first. She had a knack for locating the most elegant dresses, the most figure-flattering, and the most expensive, too. The girl had good taste. _

_Calleigh had wandered over to the 'bridal party' section of the store and was fingering a lovely bronze-ish dress. Very sleek. Very stylish. And it would look fabulous on Coralee. With her coloring, her hair, her green eyes, it would be perfect. _

"_Try this on!" She grabbed it off the rack in what she figured would be close to the appropriate size._

"_Why?" Coralee was confused – they were looking for dresses for Calleigh. She really didn't need a beautiful, expensive dress._

"_Just try it on." She urged. "For me."_

_Of course she'd do it. For Calleigh. Coralee emerged from the dressing room wearing the gown, and Calleigh gasped. "Coralee, it's perfect!"_

"_For what?"_

"_You."_

"_I don't need it." She protested. _

"_Yeah, you do." Calleigh grinned, knowing where this was going. "You have to wear something to my wedding."_

"_Somehow, I think a nice, simple dress would probably make me stand out…less."_

"_My maid of honor can't just wear any old thing." Calleigh exclaimed, loving the shocked look her statement earned her. "You have to wear something spectacular, and this, my dear, looks great on you." It did, too. It was quite possibly, the least horrible bridesmaid dress on earth. It hugged all the right places, draped quite becomingly in all the others. It was stunning._

"_Are you serious?" _

"_Why are you always asking me that?" Calleigh joked. "Of course I'm serious."_

"_Oh, my God!"_

"_Will you do it?" Calleigh laughed, realizing she hadn't said 'yes,' yet._

"_Of course I will!" She flung her arms around her sister. "I'd be honored! Thank you!" Coralee had never had a proper wedding herself, having gotten married at the justice of the peace wearing a relatively clean pair of slacks and a new shirt. She had been so focused on finding Calleigh the perfect dress so she could have a perfect wedding to her perfect fiancé, that she'd completely forgotten about the attendants. _

"_No, thank you!" Calleigh hugged her back, struck, and not for the first time, how fortunate she was to finally have a sister in her life. _

_Coralee swiped at her cheeks, noting the dampness that was collecting there as tears streamed down her face. _

_"Why are you crying?" Calleigh asked, then sniffed as it got to her as well._

_"This is what sisters do." More tears came. "I have a sister!"_

_It was too much for Calleigh, and she cried a little herself. So there they stood, Calleigh in a bridal gown held together with clothespins and Coralee in a too-big bridesmaids dress, hugging and crying in the middle of the shop._ _It had been a touching moment, and Calleigh figured neither of them would ever forget it._

"So she's pretty excited about it, huh?"

"I think so." Calleigh smiled at the memory. "She's taking the whole role pretty seriously, too." Eric laughed, knowing in advance that this would happen. "I think she's already planning the bridal shower and the bachelorette party."

"I warned you."

"I know." Calleigh chuckled. "I know. Speaking of which, have you chosen how many groomsmen you're going to have?"

"How many should I have?" Eric hated to guess at how many people she wanted him to chose.

"You have more friends than me, so you pick. I'll come up with the rest."

"We could both just have one." He pointed out. "Make things simple."

Calleigh contemplated this for a moment. That truly would simplify her life. One attendant, one dress. One person to please. "I like it." She didn't have that many girlfriends anyway.

"Did you talk to your sisters?"

"Zoe and Carmen are so excited they can barely stand it." He heard the excited squeals over the phone, and his ears were still ringing a little. They really would be the cutest flower girls ever.

"Do we have to just pick one of your nephews for ring-bearer?" She hated to play favorites. He had three nephews of approximately the correct age. Mikey was a little young at just three and a half, but Viktor and Vincent were six and eight. Calleigh hated to upset one of them, but she wasn't quite sure how to go about doing this. Thank goodness Gloria only had girls! Then she'd be disappointing more than one or two future nephews.

"We'll figure it out." Eric wasn't worried. "Come on." They'd reached the beach, and Eric wanted to go walk by the surf, hand in hand with Calleigh. It was such a simple thing, almost a nothing gesture, but it calmed him the way nothing else could. The repetitive, gentle lapping of the waves on the beach combined with the feel of Calleigh in his arms and the sound of her soft voice soothed him, washed away his fears and tension the way the ocean washed away traces of sandcastles. They both removed their shoes, and Eric rolled his pant legs up a little, knowing from experience that Calleigh would want to wade into the water a little. She loved the ocean. Having grown up in northern Louisiana, she felt a bit ocean-deprived as a child, and had been trying to make up for it ever since she moved to Miami. Eric loved the water, and he took advantage of her penchant for 'long walks on the beach' as often as possible, no matter how cliché it sounded.

Calleigh predictably waded into the ocean, gathering the hem of her dress tightly around her knees to prevent it from getting soaked. Eric stood back and watched in awe as her face lit up with happiness.

"Come here." He held out a hand to her, pulling her into him when she grasped it with her own.

They walked along the beach for a while in silence just enjoying the view and the company.

Calleigh was excited on Saturday morning. She'd taken the weekend off so she could be with her grandparents, and she had a big question to ask them. She got up early, hoping to fix them breakfast, but Abuela was already awake and sipping coffee in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry." Calleigh exclaimed. "I should have gotten up earlier and done that for you."

"Don't be silly, child." Maitea exclaimed, saddened that she'd upset her. "Sit and talk with me for a while."

Calleigh poured and sweetened her coffee, then took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Your Eric," Maitea started. "He's really quite handsome, isn't he?" She winked at Calleigh.

"That he is." Calleigh agreed with a nod. "He really is."

"And Coralee!" Maitea exclaimed. "What a doll."

"She's sweet." Calleigh nodded. "She's going to be my maid of honor."

"She mentioned that."

"Is Opa up yet?" Calleigh hadn't seen him, but she knew he was an early riser.

"He's out taking his morning walk, why?"

"No reason." She was about to crack and tell her Abuela the real reason when Eric walked into the kitchen. He was fresh out of the shower and smelling all manly and delicious, and looking incredibly sexy in his suit pants and button-down shirt, open at the top few buttons, jacket missing. She rose and kissed him good morning, sad that he had to work today.

"I wish you could hang out with us today." She murmured into his mouth, ignoring the fact that her grandmother was sitting at the table trying not to notice the exchange.

"I'll be home tonight." He promised.

"Good morning, Liebchen." Opa cleared his throat, having finished his walk and returned.

"Opa!" She gave him a hug and kissed his cheek affectionately. "How was your walk?"

"Good." He nodded a few times. "Humid here."

"I know." She smiled. "It's so thick you could cut it with a butter knife."

"That it is." He agreed.

Calleigh grabbed the cereal, milk, and a gallon of milk and got Eric's breakfast ready while he poured his cup of coffee.

"Opa." Calleigh started, grateful Eric was there with her for the conversation. "I have a question for you."

"Anything you need, Liebchen." He smiled, patting her cheeks just like he did when she was a small child.

"The thing is," Calleigh started. "It's tradition at a wedding for the bride's father to walk her down the aisle." She paused, and Eric placed an encouraging hand on the small of her back. "Well," She took a deep breath in. "Would you do it?"

"Liebchen!" He enveloped her in a bear hug. "Of course I will. I'd be honored." Warrener had been waiting for that moment since the stormy day so many years ago when he'd scooped her up out of the mud and into his arms. That little girl, with her blonde hair and big, inquisitive green eyes had stolen his heart. Now someone had stolen hers, and he was thrilled to be included in the ceremony. Eric, the man who had captured his baby girl's heart, was a fine young man. He was everything Warrener had always wanted for his Liebchen: good-looking, compassionate, gentle, he obviously adored Calleigh. Warrener was ecstatic.

"Sit down for a moment." Abuela motioned to Calleigh to join the three of them at the table. "We have something to tell the two of you."

Calleigh did as she was told, handing Opa a cup of coffee just the way he liked it.

"Alright." He began once his Liebchen was seated. "Calleigh," He began. "You're like a daughter to us, you know this." She nodded, smiling softly. "Well, we've been preparing for this for a while, and we'd like to help with the finances."

Calleigh gasped, and Eric grasped her hand across the table.

"We've been saving money for your wedding." Maitea interjected. "And we would love to help make this a special day for you."

"Abuela!" Calleigh was close to tears again.

"Now, let me see this ring."

Calleigh extended her hand for closer inspection.

"I love what you did with it, mijo." She nodded approval. "Very elegant."

"Thank you." He murmured, slightly embarrassed. "Coralee helped me." He admitted.

"_What do you think of this?" He set a small package on the table and slid it sideways, next to her. _

"_What is this?" Coralee's eyes widened._

"_Just look at it." He grinned impatiently._

_She opened the box and gasped. "Eric, are you proposing?"_

"_Eventually." He gestured to the ring she was turning over and over in her hand. "Her grandma gave it to me when we went for Christmas this year, but I need to know if the setting is good, or if I should change it. I don't know if it's the right size, either."_

"_Well," Coralee thought about it for a minute, but the thought process was interrupted by a cheerful waitress._

"_Oh!" A high-pitched voice squealed. "How exciting! Did you say 'yes?' Are you going to say 'yes'?"_

_They were drawing a crowd now, other diners crowding around the table, waiting with baited breath to hear Coralee's reply._

_Coralee met Eric's gaze and winked devilishly, hoping he'd understand her meaning. _

"_Do you think this is good enough for me?" She asked loudly enough for the crowd to hear. "Do you think you can just buy me a cheap, piece of crap and expect me to marry you?"_

_Eric was confused for a second, but the glint in her eyes helped bring him up to speed. "Come on, sugar." He cooed, trying hard not to laugh. "Just marry me. I can't afford a bigger rock."_

"_Not good enough." She dropped it unceremoniously back into the box and shoved it back at him. "I deserve better than this." There was a collective gasp of shock from the crowd when she did this, and the corners of her mouth started to twitch up in response. She tried unsuccessfully to frown, but the mirth bubbled right out of her causing Eric to chuckle as well._

"_He's not proposing, y'all." Her accent was thick as summer humidity. "He just wants my opinion. He's dating my SISTER! Gosh, y'all are nosy!" She was doubled over in laughter at this point, and her sides were starting to hurt from lack of oxygen. _

_Eric was turning red, but he patted Coralee on the back. "Breathe." He commanded, figuring that taking Calleigh's sister to lunch and ending up at the hospital because she passed out would NOT score him points in the bedroom. "Take a breath." She was beet red, but she calmed herself enough to inhale a little. _

_The crowd dispersed by the time Coralee and Eric stopped laughing, but the waitress was still standing there, looking very upset. "That wasn't very funny." She reprimanded. _

"_Actually," Coralee grinned at her. "It really was. You should have seen it from our end."_

_The waitress huffed a little, and Eric took this opportunity to order._

"It really is stunning." Calleigh agreed.

_______________________________________________

Calleigh and Coralee were at the printers picking out wedding invitations one weekend morning. Calleigh was finalizing the program when Coralee walked up behind her.

"Are you sure you want to word it that way?" She pointed to the part that listed her as Calleigh's sister.

"Yeah, why?" It made sense. She was her sister, after all.

"Isn't your mom coming?"

"Yeah." It dawned on Calleigh what the problem was.

"Does she know about me?"

"No."

"This probably isn't a good way for her to find out."

"I'm not ashamed of you, Cor." Calleigh stood and faced her.

"I'm not saying you are, just...I know I'm your sister, you know, Eric knows, hell, half of Miami-Dade PD knows. It's not that important to me that it be in print. Your mom probably doesn't need that slap in the face on your wedding day. I'm really okay with it if you put "friend of the bride" as the caption. Really."

The implication of printing "sister of the bride" on the program had never actually occurred to Calleigh until just now. Coralee was right, of course. That would be a major slap in the face to her mother, given she was actually sober enough to comprehend the meaning. Still, it wouldn't do to hurt the woman on purpose. And if Coralee really didn't mind...

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." She nodded. "She doesn't need to know. Not that way, anyway."

"You're the best." Calleigh squeezed her tightly. "Thank you."

"Any time."

Perhaps this could all go off without a hitch after all. Who knows? It could happen.

___________________________________________

A/N: Almost done.


	49. I Do

Author's Note: This is the last full chapter. I hope you like it. Thanks for sticking with me.

_______________________________________

"Abuela, it's beautiful." Calleigh exclaimed as she examined the dress her grandmother made.

"I'm glad you like it, niña." Maitea beamed. "What do you think, honey?" She turned to Coralee.

"It's stunning." Coralee breathed, fingering the silken fabric. "I can't believe you made this. It's prettier than the ones in the store."

"Well, don't stand there fawning over it, child!" Maitea handed her the garment. "Go try it on!" Maitea wanted to make the dress for Coralee. She'd made one for Calleigh's prom, and now, she wanted to make one for Coralee. It was cheaper, for one, and she wanted to help. She wanted to bond with the young woman. Many hours and sketches later, the three ladies agreed upon a lovely design that flattered Coralee perfectly.

Coralee flew into the guest room and carefully stepped into the beautiful coral dress. After much deliberation, Calleigh had dropped the idea of bronze for a spring wedding, and opted for a deep coral instead. The color was striking on Coralee, and this dress was no exception. The swishy satin fabric swayed perfectly, and the hem was just the right length; barely below the knee. The plunging neckline and empire waist accented her tiny figure and other 'assets' nicely, but it was the back that Coralee loved the most. The wide straps crossed in the back and provided a dramatic picture. She had beautiful gold strappy shoes that Calleigh found on sale, and some lovely jewelry that her new, adopted "Abuela" loaned her.

She put the ensemble together, took her hair out of the pony tail, fluffed her hair up a little, and stepped out of the room.

"Coralee." Calleigh gasped. "This just won't do."

"What?" Coralee looked down at the dress, unsure of what was amiss. "Why?"

"You can't look prettier than me on my wedding day!"

Coralee relaxed, blushed, and beamed simultaneously. "Trust me, no one is going to be looking at me once they open the doors and everyone turns to look at you. All eyes will be glued to you, and you only." She turned to Abuela. "Have you seen her in it?"

"I have not." She stated, turning to Calleigh. "Well?"

"I'll be right back." Coralee swirled around, skirt rustling around her knees with a satisfying 'swish,' and rushed to help Calleigh into her gown.

"Are you ready?" Coralee peeked around the corner and prepared Abuela for her first glimpse of her precious child in her wedding dress.

"As ready as I'll ever be." She had her hanky ready, and dotted the corner of her eyes with it.

"Come on out."

Slowly, Calleigh emerged from the hallway and entered the living room.

Maitea said something Coralee didn't understand in rapid-fire Spanish, but whatever it was, it made Calleigh blush and choke up a little.

"What did she say?" Coralee asked, a little confused. "What did you say?" She hated being left out, and felt a little inadequate about not speaking fluent Spanish. Her Spanish really lacked…anything useful…unless you're in a restaurant. She knew how to order food, but that's about it.

"My child." Maitea rose and embraced Calleigh tightly. "You're all grown up."

Coralee had an inkling that this wasn't all that was spoken, but she got the gist of it. Maitea was emotional because her granddaughter was getting married, and after a lifetime of taking care of her and watching her grow up, seeing her in the dress had driven home the point that she was really an adult – all grown up and getting married. Starting a family of her own. It was heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. Coralee didn't need a translation for that.

There were two weeks to go until the wedding, and Maitea had flown in to help get everything in order. The additional time also gave her the ability to re-alter the dress for Coralee should it not fit perfectly. Coralee made sure to invite her personally to the bachelorette party since it was going to be a fairly low-key event anyway. Maitea had graciously accepted the invitation, pleased to be included and curious about what the young girl had planned.

Warrener would be arriving in another week, eager to spend some time with his granddaughter before she went off and got married, and almost equally happy about getting to know his new granddaughter, Coralee, better. Calleigh loved that they'd adopted her sister as well, but wasn't the least bit surprised. She had anticipated them loving the girl as much as they loved her – she was too sweet not to.

Coralee, for her part, had a new boyfriend – a teacher she'd met at the grocery store, who Warrener and Eric were already planning to interrogate when they met him. Eric had already run background checks on him, which turned up nothing, but Eric couldn't be too sure. Calleigh had made him promise to not threaten the poor man's life or inflict any lasting bodily harm. She'd do that herself if he hurt her little sister.

Eric had finally chosen one of his brothers-in-law as his best man. He was especially close to Cristina's husband, Todd, so he did appear to be the logical choice. His daughter was a flower girl, and so was one of his nieces, so having Todd at the end of the aisle could only help things go smoothly, too.

Calleigh and Coralee changed out of their dresses and joined Maitea back in the living room of Calleigh and Eric's new house in Golden Isles. They had just moved in, and Coralee and Maitea were on unpacking duty. So far, they'd already unpacked the kitchen and the bedroom – the rooms Maitea deemed 'most important.' The living room was almost finished, and so was the guest room for Maitea and Warrener. Coralee loved that her sister was closer, even if the distance was only a few miles. The traffic was much better, so it took much less time to visit now.

"What now, girls?" Maitea was hard at work unpacking boxes.

"Abuela," Calleigh exclaimed in exasperation. "You really don't have to keep doing that. It'll get unpacked. Really. Eric and I can do it later."

"Then consider it a gift to you for your wedding." Maitea was just as stubborn as Calleigh. "The last thing you two need to do is spend your first weeks of marriage unpacking boxes and looking for your…" She glanced into the box and pulled out a book. "Dictionary."

"Somehow," Calleigh laughed, taking the dictionary and placing it on the bookshelves. "I think we could live for a week or so without knowing where that was."

"Still." Maitea was not to be deterred. "I'm unpacking, Coralee is helping me, and we're not taking no for an answer."

Coralee took that as her cue to dive into another box.

"Fine." Calleigh threw up her hands in frustration, picked a box for herself, and helped Abuela load books onto the shelves…in alphabetical order by subject.

_____________________________________

"Are you ready to go?" Coralee knocked on Calleigh's door early the morning of the wedding. They decided that Calleigh should ride with Coralee to avoid having an extra vehicle at the church that wouldn't have a driver to take it home. There was so much to do today, but everyone was still tired from staying up half the night stuffing Jordan almonds into little squares of tulle and making little bags out of them with ribbon. They'd formed an assembly line of sorts. Warrener counted out almonds, Maitea cut out squares, Eric held the squares – filled with almonds – so Calleigh could tie them, and Coralee glued little satin rosettes onto the center of the bows. The system worked, but it still took hours.

"I'm ready!" Calleigh rushed out of the bedroom, bags hanging from both shoulders. There was so much to get done today! They had to get their hair done, Calleigh scheduled surprise manicures and pedicures for them, they had to get to the church, do their makeup, change into their gowns, make sure Calleigh didn't throw up – it was going to be a busy day.

Coralee took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come on in." Eric's voice called from inside. Coralee peeked her head inside the door. "Coralee, come in!" Eric thought he'd be nervous – everyone told him he would be – but he wasn't. He was excited, but not nervous. It was as if his whole life had been leading up to this day, and it was finally happening. He was finally going to marry Calleigh. He was going to have a family of his own. Just the two of them. It couldn't happen soon enough.

"You look beautiful." He told her sincerely. She twirled a little at the compliment, showing off her hair-do and the lovely magnolia tucked into it.

"Well, thank you." Coralee smiled sincerely at him. "But if you think this is good, you should see Calleigh."

"I can't wait." He closed his eyes envisioning what that picture might be, but knowing that it wouldn't come close to the reality. "What can I do for you?"

"Calleigh just wanted me to make sure you're still here." She giggled. "So she doesn't embarrass herself by walking out there and finding out you're not at the end waiting for her."

"I waited eight years for her." Eric stood and straightened his tie. "I'll wait a few more minutes."

Coralee hugged him, careful to not get makeup on his suit. "That is quite possibly the most romantic thing I've ever heard. I'll tell her word for word."

_____________________________________________

The ceremony was perfect. The music was beautiful. The flower girls were adorable. Calleigh…well, Calleigh was a vision. Eric had never seen anything so beautiful. He'd dreamed of this day, especially vivid dreams since they'd worked that case at a wedding. Calleigh put on the bride's veil and made him promise not to tell anyone at work. The doors opened and Eric looked down the aisle and stopped breathing. No fantasy could have ever prepared him for this. It was a simple gown, no extra foufurrah for Calleigh. Just simple, clean lines, strapless, and infinitely feminine. She wore a simple veil over her upswept hair, and carried a sweet bouquet of coral calla lilies and magnolias.

She adjusted her dress around the chair for the hundredth time, and searched the reception hall for Eric. Coralee was dancing with her Opa. Eric's parents were dancing together. His sisters were all dancing with their respective husbands. There! Finally. There was Eric. Calleigh smiled and grabbed a camera when she saw what was going on. In the middle of the dance floor, there was Eric with Zoe standing on his shoes, dancing. She moved around the people on the floor to get the best shot.

"Niña!" Abuela found her. "I want to dance with my granddaughter. Come here." She snapped her picture and danced with her Abuela.

"It was all lovely, Niña."

"Thank you."

"So, tell me." Maitea winked at her. "When am I going to get my first grandchild…or great grandchild?"

Calleigh laughed nervously and looked around her. "About seven and a half months, I'd say."

"Calleigh!" Maitea stopped dancing and happily squeezed her tightly. "Do you mean?"

"I do."

"Calleigh!" Maitea's brain was churning. "Does Eric know?"

"I haven't told him yet." She admitted. "I'm going to tell him tonight."

"What do you think he'll say?"

"He'll be thrilled." She knew he would, too.

____________________________________________

"May I have this dance?" Eric tried to cut in. "I'd love to dance with the pretty lady." Ryan relinquished Coralee to dance with Eric and disappeared into the crowd.

"So." Coralee began. "Do you feel any different?"

"Absolutely."

"Are you packed?"

"Yes."

"Did Calleigh have to pack for you?"

Eric chuckled and spun her around. "No. I packed myself."

"This morning?"

"Yes."

"Thought so."

"So," Eric mimicked her. "Welcome to the family."

"Isn't that my line?" Coralee joked with him. "You're in MY family now. All two of us."

"No." He countered. "You're in my family now." He pointed to some of his family members. "They're your family now."

"No." Coralee could be stubborn, too. "They're Calleigh's family now. Not mine."

"Yeah, but you're Calleigh's family, she's my wife – my family – and they're her family. Her family is your family, so voila." He made a sweeping gesture with his arm. "Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"I might have gotten a little lost about the third time you used the word 'family,' but I think I get the idea." She smiled at him for a second, then looked more serious. "Now, it's my turn." She paused for a moment to collect herself before continuing. "You married my sister today."

He nodded. "I did."

"So," She stopped dancing and looked up at him, seriously at a height disadvantage even in her heels. "If you hurt her, I'll break your kneecaps!"

"I'll keep that in mind." He laughed out loud at her threat, then sobered quickly when her face didn't break into the smile he expected. "Really, Cor. I'm going to be good to her. I promise."

"You better." She was in no joking mood. "I know where you live. Where you work."

Now she was smiling, and Eric relaxed. Apparently he was a little afraid of her, too, but he didn't realize it until now. Why is it that the Duquesne women, all five feet nothing, one hundred pounds of 'em, could bring Eric Delko to his knees in fear? He tried not to ponder it right now.

_______________________________________________

"Eric!" Calleigh breathed. "It's lovely." She looked around the hotel with glee. "I can't believe we're staying here." She'd chosen Puerto Rico for their honeymoon, and he'd gotten a great deal on a resort there.

The suite was gorgeous and spacious, and it had a view that rivaled everything she'd ever seen. The bed looked so comfortable that she was half tempted to climb in and nap for a few minutes, but the ocean looked even better. Sure it was dark outside, but the lights from the resort were probably enough to light up the ocean…at least they could go to one of the pools.

"Let's go swimming." She was already grabbing her suitcase to extricate her swimsuit.

"Hold on there." Eric was excited, too, but he had…other plans. "I ordered up a bottle of wine. What do you say we…celebrate?"

Calleigh looked at him nervously, but decided to lay out all her cards at once. "Might want to cancel that bottle of wine, then." Okay, so maybe she'd just show them one at a time.

"Cancel?" He furrowed his brow. "I ordered your favorite white wine."

"I can't drink it, though." She tried not to smile, then gave up and grinned widely. "It's not good for the baby."

He choked and coughed a few times and stared at her. "The…the…baby?" Eric's mind went into overdrive. "The baby? You're…you're…?"

"I'm pregnant."

"But…"

"I know."

He sank onto the couch and buried his head in his hands. Calleigh didn't want children. Ordinarily he'd be thrilled, but he knew she didn't want to be a mother. "Are you okay with this?"

"I wasn't at first." Calleigh admitted. "But Coralee talked me down. I'm actually…okay with this." This was not the reaction she'd expected from him. "I thought you'd be happy."

He shot up off the couch so fast Calleigh had to step back to avoid being knocked over. "I'm thrilled. I'm…I don't even know how to put it into words I'm so happy. But you don't…you're on the pill."

"Apparently it's only ninety nine percent effective. Statistically speaking, it was bound to happen eventually."

How could she sound so calm about all this? This was life-changing. This was…earth shattering.

"Why aren't you freaking out right now?" He had to know.

"Already did." She admitted. "Remember that night Coralee called with an emergency and I had to go over to her house immediately and take care of it?"

He nodded.

"Well she wasn't the one with the emergency." She sighed and grabbed his hands. "Please don't be mad. I'd just felt so lousy for so long, and she called when she figured it out. I went over to her house and took a test."

"A test."

"Pregnancy test." She rolled her eyes. "It was positive."

Eric was silent for a moment, but a big grin slowly spread across his face. "You're pregnant!"

"I know."

"You're pregnant!"

"I know!"

Suddenly, Eric's brain caught up with the situation. "We have to go to the store." He grabbed her purse and the hotel key.

"What for?"

He remembered all the things his sisters had needed when they were pregnant. "You're going to need prenatal vitamins, soda crackers, ginger ale, ice cream, pickles…"

"Eric." She cut him off with a kiss. "Coralee took care of all that already. I'm good to go."

"Really?"

"Really."

"So we're going to have a baby?"

"We're going to have a baby."

"And you're really okay with this?"

"Eric," She cupped his face with one hand. "I'm more than okay with this. I promise. I wasn't at first, but I am now. This is good. I don't know how I got here, I just…did…somehow. I'm past the freaking out stage. I cruised through acceptance, and I'm finally to the excited stage. Eric, we're having a baby. I'm thrilled. And terrified."

He stared at her stomach for a moment before dropping to his knees in front of her, burying his face in her abdomen, and wrapping his arms around her waist. Calleigh brushed her fingers over his close-cropped hair, rubbed his neck and shoulders.

"Hey, there, little one." She looked down and saw him talking to her stomach. "I'm your daddy. I can't wait to meet you. I love you."

"Get up here." She urged him to his feet. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He hugged her. "Both of you."

"We could still celebrate." She pulled him backward with her. "Just…no alcohol. For me."

"I like the sound of that."

"Calleigh?" He asked a second later.

"Yeah."

"How long?"

"Probably about seven, seven and a half months."

"You don't know?"

"Haven't been to the doctor yet." She held up his hands. "Coralee said not to worry, I talked to Alexx. I set up an appointment for three days after we get home."

"So you're okay?"

"I'm great."

"Me too."

"I'm going to get huge."

"You're going to be beautiful." He disagreed with her, mind already filled with images of a beautiful little girl. She had Calleigh's hair and Calleigh's eyes, his mouth, and she swam like a little fish and shot a gun like her mother.

"We're going to have to borrow Anya a lot in the next few months." She advised him, kind of killing the mood, but he didn't mind.

"How come?" He stopped what he was doing and wrapped his arms around her.

"I need practice."

"Calleigh, you're going to be a great mom."

"I don't know…" She started.

"I do."

"My mom…"

He cut her off again. "You're not her. You're you."

"That doesn't make any sense." She rolled them over and kissed him.

"You're Calleigh Duquesne. You can do anything."

"Calleigh Delko." She corrected. "And I hope I can do this."

"I know you can." He rolled onto his back, pulling her on top of him. "And I'll be right there to help you out with anything I can do."

"Wanna be pregnant for me for the next…seven or so months?"

__________________________________________________

A/N: It's coming to an end. R and R!


	50. Epilogue

Author's Note: You didn't really think I'd let this end without closing things up properly, now did you? I'm mean, but I'm not that mean. Enjoy.

__________________________________________

Roughly seven months later, Calleigh lay exhausted in a hospital bed surrounded by friends and family. Glancing to the side, she saw Eric proudly showing off his brand new daughter.

"_Do you want to know the sex?" Dr. Gallegos asked._

"_Yes." They agreed in unison. _

"_Okay." She moved the ultrasound wand over Calleigh's belly. "It…looks like a…girl."_

"_A girl." Eric breathed. "A baby girl." He gripped Calleigh's hand even tighter. _

"_Did you want a boy?" She'd asked him later that night. Most men wanted boys, she figured, but hoped he wasn't too disappointed with the news._

"_Actually, no." He answered honestly. "I want a little you. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Great shot."_

"_I hate to tell you this, but she probably won't have blonde hair."_

"_Still, I really wanted a girl. Honestly. You?"_

"_Yeah. Me, too."_

Maitea sat on the edge of the hospital bed. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." She smiled, drinking the water Abuela offered her gratefully. "And sore."

"She's beautiful."

"She really is, isn't she?" Little Elisa Marisol Delko had a full head of dark brown hear, big brown eyes, and a cry that could peel paint, but to Calleigh the sound was music to her ears. She wasn't sure how it happened, but the second she held the squirming little girl in her arms, she felt something inside her break. She felt she'd sprouted that crazy-new mom gene, that one she'd always mocked in other women. She knew she'd just become that mom that freaked out and ran to the doctor at the first sign of a temperature over ninety nine degrees, ran to the emergency room at the fist sign of sniffles…in short…she'd just become a new mother. And she loved it.

"Do you need us to get you anything, dear?" Eric's mother sat on the other side of the bed and hugged her daughter-in-law. "Are you hungry?"

"I'm good, but thanks."

"Can I hold her?" Coralee asked Eric tentatively. Little Elisa was her first niece, and she wanted to establish a good 'auntie' bond early.

Eric regarded her carefully for a moment before deeming her adequate to hold his baby girl. The second he laid eyes on her she had him wrapped around her little finger. Elisa was, forever, Daddy's little girl. Carefully and suspiciously, he handed Elisa to Coralee.

"Support her head." He advised, and was rewarded with a 'look.'

"Sorry." He shrugged. "Reflex." That reflex was born the second he got the call.

"_Delko." He was on a scene, and he hadn't bothered to look at the number before he answered. _

"_Eric."_

"_Calleigh!"_

"_Eric, it's time."_

"_Time?"_

"_Eric!"_

"_Time. It's time!" He finally got it. "I'll be right there! Hang on." He flipped the phone closed and literally ran to find Horatio._

"_H.!" He hollered. "H.! Calleigh just called. I've got to go. It's time!"_

"_I'll take care of it, Mr. Delko." Horatio removed his sunglasses. "Go take care of your wife."_

_Eric was sprinting toward the car before Horatio was finished with his sentence. "Congratulations, Eric!" He hollered after the young man. "We'll be there as soon as we can."_

"_Thanks, H.!" Eric hollered before he jumped into the car. He ran lights and siren all the way home. No, it wasn't legal, but he didn't care. His wife was in labor with his first child, and he had to get there quickly. _

"_Calleigh!" He rushed into the house, breathless. "Calleigh!"_

"_In here." She called from the bathroom. She'd had to change clothes after her water broke. _

"_Your bag?" He asked._

"_By the door." _

"_Ready?"_

"_Yeah." He helped her to the car, dashed back inside to grab her bag, and jumped into the car. _

"_Have you called anyone yet?" He asked as he pulled out of the driveway._

"_Coralee." She replied. "Abuela and Opa. Your mom and dad. I figured they'd take care of everyone else."_

"_H. says good luck. And he's going to bring everyone by later."_

"_She might not be born yet, you know." Calleigh reminded him before a painful contraction made her wince. _

"_Cal?" He grabbed her hand nervously. _

"_I'm fine." She let out her breath as the pain passed. "Abuela is on her way now. Your mom is, too. I hope they aren't putting any plans on hold." She mused. "The book says labor can take hours. Lots of hours. Cristina said she was in labor with Vincent for, like, fourteen hours."_

"_I remember." _

"_I love you." He was so excited he could barely breathe. _

Eric had amazed Calleigh throughout the entire pregnancy process. She'd never heard of a man being so excited, so involved in the pregnancy. He waited on her hand and foot, eagerly running to the store whenever she needed anything. He'd insisted on accompanying her to pick out furniture for the nursery, painted the walls himself (and done a phenomenal job, too.) He'd even been the one to enlist Abuela to paint butterflies all over the walls to match the crib set. He'd positively shocked Calleigh a few times when he'd come home with arms full of bags. He actually shopped for baby clothes himself. He bought her onesies, gowns, little dresses, blankets, toys…anything he could find that was cute; he bought. Calleigh packed a few of things he'd purchased in her hospital bag so she could put them on the baby as soon as possible. It was touching. He really couldn't wait to be a father.

Eric marked every one of Calleigh's appointments on his calendar, and had taken off the entire day every time to make sure he didn't miss anything. He talked to her stomach every night, rubbing it, hoping to feel her move, kick against his hand. The first time he felt it, he jumped and hollered a little, then smiled for days.

"_My little girl's going to be a great swimmer." He'd told everyone proudly. "She's got a killer kick. Great for the butterfly." Secretly, he also had visions of her in a little pink tutu twirling away on stage, in soccer cleats and shin guards scoring the winning goal, in breeches and riding boots, riding a horse. His little girl could do anything, he was sure of it. _

_He had poured over books of baby names, searching for just the right one for his little princess. _

"_What about naming her after your mother?" Calleigh suggested. _

"_I'm not naming my daughter Clorinda." He protested. _

"_Why?"_

"_Do you know anyone under the age of sixty named Clorinda?"_

_She did not._

"_We could name her after your mother?"_

"_Beatrice?" Not only did Calleigh not like the name, she hated the idea._

"_How about Maitea?" Eric figured she might be more willing to use her Abuela's name._

"_Put it on the list."_

_He had suggested Coralee, but Calleigh rejected it. "We can't all have names that end in "-lee."" She laughed. "Talk about confusing."_

_She had a point._

"_Elizabeth?"_

"_Pretty, but really common." She thought for a moment, contemplating her words carefully. "What about Marisol?"_

_Eric's head shot up, but he chewed on his lip before answering. "Not for her first name." He shook his head. "I can't use it for her first name. It's still…painful. Maybe for a middle name?"_

"_Middle name." Calleigh agreed. "I like it." She rubbed her swollen belly lovingly. "You have a middle name now, little one." _

_It took them weeks more before they'd settled on_ _Elisa. They loved the way it sounded, Elisa Marisol. They couldn't wait to meet her._

Maitea and Warrener actually beat them to the hospital. They'd sold their house in Louisiana when Calleigh told them she was pregnant and moved to the Fort Lauderdale area to be closer. They had no real ties to Darnell, and the news of Calleigh and Eric's baby was just the push they needed to move someplace warmer – someplace closer to their Calleigh. Maitea had already volunteered to watch the baby when Calleigh returned to work, and Eric's mother was equally eager to lend a hand.

"Hey!" Ryan poked his head in the door, then straightened up and walked inside, followed by the rest of the troupe, each carrying flowers and balloons and gifts.

"Congratulations, you guys!" Natalia squealed, hugging Calleigh tightly. "Oh, she's so beautiful!"

"We think so." Calleigh grinned, wishing someone would unhand her daughter and let HER hold her for a few minutes. She's the one who gave birth to her, after all.

"Can I hold her?"

Eric's eyes met Calleigh at Natalia's question. Everyone wanted to hold her. He allowed it, but only when Calleigh nodded that it was okay.

Ryan hugged Calleigh, followed by Valera, then Horatio.

Half an hour later, Eric could stand it no longer and retrieved his daughter from the capable arms of one Horatio Caine. He had nothing in particular against Horatio holding his daughter, just…Eric wanted her to himself for a while. He cuddled her against him and sat down beside Calleigh on the hospital bed. She immediately reached out and stroked her daughter's brown curls, missing the feeling of the child in her arms. "I'm next." She whispered in his ear, and then laid her head on his shoulder. She was so tired. Labor, apparently, was still work even if you couldn't feel it. God bless modern medicine and good epidurals. Her eyelids were so heavy.

Calleigh awoke a few hours later to find the room still crowded with people. Abuela and Opa were still there, and were talking quietly with Eric's parents. All of Eric's sisters were there, crowded around Coralee, who was holding her niece again. The husbands, apparently, were caring for the children. Eric was in a chair beside her bed holding her hand and talking with Horatio, but his eyes never left Elisa. Ryan was trying to work his way into the conversation Coralee was having, and Valera was asleep and snoring lightly in a chair by the door. She watched the scene play out before her eyes, all the people who loved her, who'd come to see her. She squeezed Eric's hand, smiling at him when he smiled squeezed back. Their eyes met and she mouthed "_I love you_."

"Want me get her for you?" He asked.

"Yeah."

Eric released her hand, retrieved her daughter, and settled her in Calleigh's waiting arms. Snuggling her daughter tenderly against her chest, she signed in contentment. Eric sat beside her, draped his arm across her shoulders, and kissed her temple. This moment was so perfect. She felt…so very loved. So very connected. So surrounded by the people who were most important to her. They were all her family…or, you know, something like it.

_______________________________________________________________FIN_____________________________________________________________________________

That's it. You know what to do. Oh, yeah. I forgot to add a few things to the note, so I'm updating it. Thank you to everyone who stuck by me for fifty (freaking) chapters. This was only supposed to be about ten chapters long. Then fourteen. Then twenty. It sort of snowballed. I appreciate everyone's patience and the kind reviews that you all took time out of your lives to write. You're all too kind, really. Okay. I've never really written anything like this before, so it was quite a learning experience. I think I'll purchase a better thesaurus for the next story. I got tired of using the same words over and over again. Thanks for putting up with repetition. Have a wonderful new year, everybody! Ciao!


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